Remembering our furry family: Filipinos honor deceased pets, strays

Pets and strays are buried in the grounds of Barangay Fortune Pet Memorial Garden. Photo courtesy of Jown Manalo / INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — For many Filipinos, pets are more than just animals; they are family.

As we approach Undas (All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day), dedicated to honoring our dearly departed, some Filipinos extend this reverence to their furry and feathered life companions.

Pet cemeteries and crematoriums across the country have become sanctuaries where owners can continue their bond with beloved pets, preserving memories and sharing final tributes.

In Brgy. Fortune, Marikina City, a pet memorial garden was created in 2020 to honor pets who have crossed the rainbow bridge.

According to Brgy. Fortune Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) Desk Officer Rita Hermoso, the pet memorial garden was created when the barangay saw an increasing number of stray dogs and cats left dead on Marikina streets in 2019.

“The very first ones buried here were dogs that had been abandoned on the streets. That was in 2019. Dogs were thrown on the streets and reported to the barangay. Since we’re barangay employees, they would call us about those found on the road, in drains, or canals. So I would go, document it for them to see,” Hermoso told INQUIRER.net in Filipino on Wednesday.

Hence, the barangay officially built the pet memorial garden in January 2020, making it the first public pet cemetery in Metro Manila.

Hermoso, who has worked in the pet memorial garden for five years now, said most of the animals buried there are dogs and cats, both pets and strays.

“But we also accept other animals like rabbits, birds—basically all pets. If people bring them here to us, we approve their requests,” she added.

As of writing, the Barangay Fortune Pet Memorial Garden has recorded approximately 4,000 animals buried in its grounds.

According to Hermoso, they bury an average of five animals per day.

When the pet memorial garden first opened in 2020, it exclusively served residents of Brgy. Fortune with a charge of P150 per animal burial.

But due to increasing inquiries, it later expanded its services to accommodate pet burials for individuals outside the barangay.

“We were actually surprised that people from Cavite, Pasay, and other areas came and asked about us, especially when we opened in 2020 during the pandemic,” Hermoso said.

Currently, animal burials cost P300 for Brgy. Fortune residents and P500 for non-residents, she added.

For Hermoso, the pet memorial garden is a testament to how animals have become dear to Filipinos throughout the years.

She recalled pet owners expressed gratitude every time they visited their beloved pets or sought a place to bury them.

“They are also very grateful that we have this facility in Marikina because, throughout the entire NCR (National Capital Region), only Brgy. Fortune has a pet memorial. Their gratitude is immense. Even if they come from far away, they are genuinely happy when they arrive here because they finally have a place to lay to rest their pets, which have also become part of their families,” she said.

Hermoso expects pet owners to visit the memorial garden again during the upcoming All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.

“Most of the visitors come from far away; they don’t often get to visit because they live far from here. So they make an effort to come on that day, during Undas, whether it’s November 1st or the 2nd, they really visit. They always make it a point to come during Undas.)

The facade of Barangay Fortune Pet Memorial Garden. Photo courtesy of Jown Manalo / INQUIRER.net

Barangay Fortune Pet Memorial Garden is open every Monday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from Tuesday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Hermoso said some pet owners also hold burial services in the garden before laying their beloved animals to rest because they are still waiting for others.

We understand that because, of course, their pets are also part of their family,” she added.

According to Hermoso, the love people have for their pets is clear in the way they remember them.

“For us who work here, it is both an honor and a responsibility to keep the memorial garden beautiful, clean, and respected. We truly accommodate the wishes of pet owners to the best of our ability,” she added.

Undoubtedly, the growing tradition of pet memorials reminds us that love knows no species.

For Hermoso and many other Filipinos, a visit to their pet’s final resting place is a way of keeping them close, long after they are gone.

READ: Families, communities clean up tombs, cemeteries for Undas 2024