Episode 3 The Farm Fixer


Episode 3

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Small farms and rural businesses are in crisis.

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We've put our life savings into what we're doing.

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A tough economic climate and depressed agricultural markets

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are bringing the countryside to its knees.

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If we get a very bad year, we'll just have to go bankrupt.

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'I'm Nick Hewer, and I'm returning to my Northern Irish roots...'

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It's my country. What are you doing here?

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I'm from Nebraska, I've never heard of Ballyclare.

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'..to help these farms and rural businesses diversify.'

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I'm no farming expert, but I do know

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what it takes for a farming business to survive

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in these tough economic times.

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You deal with the horse,

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shoot the horse yourself.

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Every time I come to Northern Ireland, I put on a stone.

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-Can I offer you a scone?

-Can we call you Nick?

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And every now and again, there must be a reality check.

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The Chinese are very good at this sort of thing.

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And that's where I come in.

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I'm on my way to meet Ian and Karen at their pet crematorium.

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They're about to splash out £35,000 on a horse incinerator

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but is there really, really a market for that?

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Ian set up the pet crematorium 11 years ago,

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and currently it operates under the family banner, Craigycor.

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Have three brothers, Robert, Alan and John,

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and the farm, we let it out to a dairy farmer up the road.

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The crematorium opened in 2000.

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One of Ian's vets asked him about starting a crematorium.

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They said there was a need for it.

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Ian worked very much for the family kennel business,

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that was always the main business,

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so the crematorium was always a sideline,

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we worked maybe two days a week at the crematorium

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so it was never pushed.

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Ian's brother Robert looks after the Craigavon dog pound,

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the kennels, the cattery, the pet shop

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and the grooming parlour all on the same site.

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He's good enough, he would see to customers.

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If a private cremation came in through the yard,

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he'd see to those people if we're not about.

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At the minute, I don't earn a wage. I gave up work.

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So, I mean, eventually, I'd like that I could earn a wage

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and work for the business part-time or full-time, or whatever's needed.

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And with a burgeoning business, a world of wildlife

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and a young toddler, they've got their hands full.

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I'm very, very involved in animal rescue -

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rehomed about 500 dogs and cats and guinea pigs and ferrets

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and rabbits and pigs and whatever else needs it.

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That would be my passion in life.

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I would give everything, Ian will tell you

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I'd give my right arm if it saved an animal's life, I wouldn't mind.

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But the crematorium's important as well

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because I know that I have such a strong bond with my animals

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and when they die it kills me. It's totally and utterly devastating.

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I feel that for other people. There's times people come in

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with their cremations and I cry with them. They cry and I cry too.

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So is this emotional couple strong enough for the business of burning?

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People have horses 20 years plus

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and to see them being taken away in the back of a lorry...

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-The knacker's yard.

-..to the knacker's yard, it isn't nice.

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And can they make animal death, equine or otherwise, profitable?

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Can they turn ash into cash?

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Hello. Karen, how are you?

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-Hi, Nick.

-I'm Nick. Ian, how are you?

-Nice to meet you.

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-So this is it, Craigycor?

-It is.

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Many businesses - kennels, cattery,

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grooming, pet shop and your business, which is the crematorium.

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-Yes.

-You've got big plans, I hear.

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-Yes.

-Big enough to take a horse, is that right?

-Yes.

-Indeed.

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-Can we go in the warm?

-Yes.

-I'm freezing.

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'In pursuit of warmth and facts,

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'I enter the Craigycor comfort chamber, the quiet room.'

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What happens if you bring in a pet that has died,

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we meet you in the yard, and we invite you in here to the quiet room

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and spend some time with your pet.

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And how do they find their way to you?

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Well, off our website. A lot of it comes word of mouth.

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Veterinary practices would recommend us.

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My dog, my beloved Jasmine, is actually about 11,

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so we're beginning to think about death.

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So I go to the vet and say, "This poor old thing is at death's door,

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"I think it's time to put her down." How would he do it?

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A vet would do it through a crematorium as well.

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-Would he?

-Yes.

-It's not a local government thing?

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No, no. The vets do it through a crematorium as well.

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And basically you have two types,

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you have communal cremation or a private cremation.

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What about the cost?

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We have dogs and cats - that's the volume of business, I guess.

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-Cats, dogs, parrots, rabbits, guinea pigs...

-Parrots?

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Parrots. We've cremated lizards.

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Lizards? That can't have taken long to incinerate.

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Still takes three-and-a-half hours,

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doesn't matter what size the animal is, yeah.

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And what would you charge, then, for my dog?

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You're talking £65, then, for a basic cremation,

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which is a private cremation.

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Depending what way you want the ashes,

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a scatter tube is your cheapest option, they're £5,

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and then you can start going for these.

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£70 would be your cheapest option.

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Your dearest option would be about £105.

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'So, Jasmine tubed up - £70,

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'popped in a casket - £105. Hmm, bargain.'

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I've always rather thought the Ulsterman was quite stern,

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slightly mean and has a fairly hard heart.

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And yet you've got a thriving business

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on people who love their pets so much. Am I wrong?

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Ian and I both love our animals an awful lot. Ian will go to a vet

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and a vet will say a kitten came in to be put to sleep,

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its owner didn't want it, and he'll bring it home and we'll rehome it.

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People laugh and say, "You'll never make a fortune," but...

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-That's how we started.

-We're happy doing what we do.

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I come from a fairly pragmatic animal family.

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My father was a vet and his father before him

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and so it was that when he retired, he shot his dog.

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And my mother said, "Where's the dog?" It's a true story

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and he said, "I can't afford a dog now I'm retired," so he shot it.

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'And with that tale of rural mortality,

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'I leave the confines of the comfort suite

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'and step out to explore what Craigycor has to offer.'

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Surrounded by shrieking shih-tzus and yapping hounds,

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it's no surprise that Ian and Karen lack focus.

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They're big on charity but small on profit.

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Forget rescue animals. Can I rescue this charitable duo from themselves?

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And what of the burning question -

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can they cope with the business end of the business?

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So you've got two incinerators here,

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the horse incinerator will go where, do you reckon?

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We're hoping it will go in here

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-and we'll take away one of these incinerators.

-This one is for...

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This one is for solely private cremations, so there's only one body in this at a time.

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-And this is the...?

-And this is for group cremation.

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You can fit a good-sized dog, even a small pony, it's quite a big chamber.

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-Pony?

-Yes, a small pony or sheep.

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And they get up to what sort of temperatures, then?

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1,800 degrees.

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-A German shepherd...

-Yes.

-..would take how long?

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An hour-and-a-half.

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Have you calculated the fuel costs per hour-and-a-half?

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Yes, it works out about £15 to £20.

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-Is it?

-Yes.

-As much as that?

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How much are you charging?

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50 for the small cremation and...

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-50?

-Yes.

-Of which 20 goes on fuel.

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-Yeah.

-It's too much.

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-And fuel costs are going up all the time?

-All the time.

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-So your margin's decreasing?

-Yes.

-You're under pressure.

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You can't exist on thin air just because you've got a big heart.

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-Yes.

-That's it!

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-You've got to put bread on the table for little Adam.

-Yes.

-That's it.

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That's lively incentive indeed.

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To make the business work,

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they're going to have drop the heart and put on the head.

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At the moment, there really isn't a business there, it's a charity.

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And it's some sort of family enterprise.

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If they want to actually turn it into a business

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and make a future for themselves and their little boy Adam,

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they'll have to start marketing it properly,

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and where should they market it?

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Straight down the throat of the veterinary practices

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because that's where their volume is coming from.

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'Can a local vet and a local livery yard

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'help them put food on the table?'

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We've had no pet crematorium come around soliciting business at all.

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-None of them?

-No.

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Hmm, somebody is missing a trick.

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What sort of service would you expect now?

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We kind of see it as an extension of ourselves

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because that's what the client thinks.

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You want a nice, clean, professional front of house

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and above all, you want respect for the owners

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because they've been through a hard time

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and you want them to spend a bit of time with them

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and basically put their minds at ease.

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'So that's what the vets require, but what of horse owners?'

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-This is sort of the pet end of the equine industry.

-Yes, it would be.

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And I guess that from time to time, sadly, you lose one?

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Unfortunately, yes.

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How do you dispose of the remains?

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In 2003, the EU brought in new legislation to say that

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all animals had to be taken away.

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So they come in a bin lorry type device,

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they hoist the animal with a crane into the bin lorry

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and take it away then to whatever plant it goes to.

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So is there a market for a crematorium for horses?

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I would imagine so, yes, I have spoken to some of our clients here

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and one of the girls who lost a horse a few years back said

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if the facility had been there at the time, she would have used it.

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-They'll find the money.

-They'll find the money, I think they will, yes.

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'Fuelled by my findings, I speed to Craigycor

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'to point Ian and Karen on the pathway to profit.'

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What struck me as remarkable

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was that this particular veterinary surgeon

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is never approached by anybody in the pet crematorium business

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saying, "Use us."

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There's an opportunity there

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for you guys to get together some sort of mailing marketing programme

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and make sure they know about you

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and that they're going to send you business.

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Also, move out of that yard with dogs barking, and there's a shop

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and there's a grooming parlour and people coming in with bouncy dogs

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and your customer is carrying the dead remains.

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Not quite right, is it?

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Your quiet room is quite small, it's a bit cheerless, isn't it?

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It's not very comforting. And that's the face of your business.

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You two are great. The room is horrid.

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-Yeah.

-You might even think of one of those wooden chalets,

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and put it quietly up in the garden.

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You should view the cremation as just the beginning of the process.

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When you go and get your hair done,

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it's not just a question of having a haircut, is it?

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They say, "We think really you should this try this particular sort of conditioner,

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"and have you tried this shampoo?" That's up-selling, isn't it?

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What I urge you to do, cos I did it last night,

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is get onto the American site.

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You would not believe what's going on in America.

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Mind you, they do love death over there,

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they make a real meal of it, quite frankly!

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Have a crack at it. Horses?

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How much more elegant would it be if the horse comes out of the box

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and you say to the owner, "Say goodbye,"

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you take it around the corner, you can shoot the horse.

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I think that's a nicer way to deal with these things.

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It is a possibility.

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You deal with the horse. Shoot the horse yourself.

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Let me just summarise, now, in bullet point form, really.

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Attack the vet market, give the owner a choice,

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move out of that little quiet room,

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maybe a chalet in the garden, with a little path up to it. Horses?

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Install the big horse incinerator, but also consider getting a licence

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so that you deal with the horse

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while you look after the owner. What's wrong with that?

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Listen, I'm coming back in the spring.

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It's all action from this moment on.

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There was a few comments he made, a wee bit to the edge,

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-but he was truthful.

-He was justified in everything he said.

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It is something... I do need to get my business head on,

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stop ruling with my heart.

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Are Ian and Karen capable

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of dropping, you know, the sentimental side of this

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and turning it into a business?

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There is a business there, I have no doubt about it.

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By autumn, we will be moved fully

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-and we'll be completely away from Craigycor, name and everything.

-Yes.

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To ignite Ian and Karen's business passion,

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I send in brand consultant

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Mark Thompson, who is consumer-focused.

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Now, what they're buying is your compassion and your care

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and the way that you do your business,

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not just what the business is.

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That's the direction I've tried to take with the naming.

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The word is Farewell.

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The word that I think we need to put in front of that

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and which turns it then into a brand name

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is very simply Pets Farewell.

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It's simplistic and it really is fantastic, so it is.

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In addition to that, what you might also need are tag lines or slogans.

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It could be something about treasured moments lasting for ever,

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it could be peace for pet lovers in times of sorrow.

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Putting it together with those,

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I have to say I feel myself welling up reading through those.

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I was thinking, "Don't sit here and cry, please,"

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but it's lovely, it's so, so nice, it really is.

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So, the new brand and the new tag line - what's next?

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There are some practical things they now need to do,

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secure the web addresses, make sure the trademark is enforceable.

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We need to get our log cabin

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and get that sorted and instated and ready to go.

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I'm making enquiries at the minute about getting a gun

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for the purpose of, you know, humanely putting a horse to sleep.

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I left Ian and Karen with a long list of things to do

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and six weeks later, I'm back to check on progress.

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Today's burning issue is the pet crematorium business

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and I'm off to Moira to see Ian and Karen.

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Have they made caring commercial?

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DOGS BARK

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You've built the quiet room, the chalet of solace.

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I can't hear myself think over those dogs.

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-How are they...? Are you going to quieten them down?

-Yes.

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You ought to have a tranquiliser on the relevant days, really.

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We're going to plant hedgerow all along here,

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-so that will cut out...

-Really?

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-That will be done in the next two months.

-Along where?

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-Right along this side over here.

-Sort of leylandii things?

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-Yeah.

-Tall?

-Yes, big and strong

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that will block out the kennel view as well.

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We're going to plant laurel, I think, along here.

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Laurel? That's a good funereal sort of plant,

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-yew trees have often favoured in graveyards.

-Yep.

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Shall we have a look inside the chalet of solace?

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It's an empty canvas, I guess,

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-and the floor?

-We have a few different options,

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we've had a few guys out the last week giving us quotes and stuff.

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We need a very expensive lino

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or something like that that's wiped clean and hygienic.

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-Because of bodily fluids.

-Bodily fluids would spill from animals, yes.

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Where will the loved one - let's call it the loved one - where will that go?

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We'll have the table over here, so you'll be able to lay your pet out,

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-so they'll be able to see out the window.

-Got a bit of a view.

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Heating in the winter - I mean, animals die the year round.

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-We have ordered a burner for the side.

-A burner, a heater burner?

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-A heater burner, yes, a cast iron stove.

-Good.

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I'm impressed with the chalet, the relocation and the signage,

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so we take the path of no return to branding.

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PetsFarewell is great, perfect, says it all.

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-What's underneath? "Pets and horse crematorium."

-Yes.

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Brilliant, so you've got the branding.

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That looks like a leaflet to me. Let's have a look at this.

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We've got a hamster, or is that a guinea pig?

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-A rabbit.

-A rabbit, is it? OK.

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You know these things, they all look the same. No prices?

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-We didn't put pricing on these ones.

-No prices.

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When we go through a veterinary practice,

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-the vets make their mark-up on it as well, obviously.

-Yeah.

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And these are the caskets?

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Those are made for outside,

0:14:420:14:43

so you can keep the ashes outside as garden ornaments

0:14:430:14:45

rather than have to keep them in the house.

0:14:450:14:47

And the website's up and running, I hear. Let me see.

0:14:470:14:50

I do like the name.

0:14:500:14:52

"Treasured moments last for ever."

0:14:520:14:54

"Same-day crematorium. Contact us. Find us."

0:14:560:14:59

So you have a map here.

0:14:590:15:00

I think you've made great progress. Are you pleased with yourselves?

0:15:000:15:03

Yeah. We are, yeah.

0:15:030:15:04

-We talked about the horse, shooting the horse.

-Yes.

0:15:040:15:08

I'm still waiting to go and do the course.

0:15:080:15:10

-So you're going to do it for real, huh?

-Yes.

0:15:100:15:12

That's going to be tricky for you.

0:15:120:15:14

-I'm not looking forward to it, but...

-I can imagine,

0:15:140:15:17

you'll be uncomfortable but it's all part of the business.

0:15:170:15:19

I'd like to see what you're going to do with all your marketing material.

0:15:190:15:23

Will you be able to sell it into the public?

0:15:230:15:25

Today you're going to deal with the consumer, the pet owner,

0:15:250:15:29

in the middle of Belfast,

0:15:290:15:31

selling to somebody who will one day have to get rid of the dead body.

0:15:310:15:35

I'm sure they'll rise to the challenge,

0:15:370:15:39

given what they've achieved so far.

0:15:390:15:41

Separating heart from head - that was my concern when I last saw them.

0:15:410:15:45

Now Ian is going off to learn how to shoot horses in the head.

0:15:450:15:50

That's progress.

0:15:500:15:51

In this shopper's paradise,

0:15:540:15:56

can Ian and Karen make PetsFarewell the creme de la creme of crematoria?

0:15:560:16:02

Girls, have you got a couple of minutes?

0:16:020:16:03

We're not selling anything, I promise!

0:16:030:16:05

We're called PetsFarewell. We've been going about 14 years.

0:16:050:16:08

-Do you have pets yourself?

-I have a cat that I could kill.

0:16:080:16:10

They've got to realise this is a joint venture,

0:16:100:16:13

they've both got to pull their weight

0:16:130:16:15

and at the moment it's Karen that's doing all the chat.

0:16:150:16:17

Lily's ashes are in this. She died three months ago. She was 17.

0:16:170:16:21

Ian's holding back. That's got to change.

0:16:210:16:24

What is so heartening

0:16:240:16:25

is that they're prepared to talk about money,

0:16:250:16:28

about the cost of their service,

0:16:280:16:29

which is excellent because so often people shy away from that.

0:16:290:16:33

£80 for a Jack Russell.

0:16:330:16:34

And that's in this with your engraving, as well. A cat's 55.

0:16:340:16:38

But, and it's a big but,

0:16:380:16:40

would Karen stop talking about her pet rescue charity?

0:16:400:16:44

That's not what this is about.

0:16:440:16:45

We just adopted a 16-year-old yorkie from Carrickfergus dog pound

0:16:450:16:48

who's blind and deaf.

0:16:480:16:50

-Out of your comfort zone a bit - this is a first.

-Way, way out.

0:16:500:16:53

-How are you getting on?

-Considering I like talking so much,

0:16:530:16:55

-it's been very, very hard.

-It didn't look difficult, to be honest.

0:16:550:16:58

It's a joint business venture,

0:16:580:17:00

so you've both got to get in and sell together, it's not just Karen.

0:17:000:17:04

-Karen's good at it.

-You've both got to talk.

-Yes.

0:17:040:17:06

So what was the general reaction?

0:17:060:17:08

A lot of people were surprised that you could cremate an animal.

0:17:080:17:11

We spoke to one lady that's got to make a decision to have her dog put to sleep

0:17:110:17:15

and she said it's a very hard subject and she took one of the leaflets.

0:17:150:17:18

You gave her a leaflet? I'd take her number!

0:17:180:17:20

Ring her on a weekly basis, see how the old dog's doing.

0:17:200:17:23

A lot of people were saying that

0:17:230:17:25

they had paid sort of in excess of just under £200,

0:17:250:17:28

they paid double the fee what we would charge directly.

0:17:280:17:31

Maybe you're charging too little. And tell me one thing -

0:17:310:17:33

why are you spending so much time talking about your charity?

0:17:330:17:37

That's not why we're here.

0:17:370:17:39

It's just easy to keep chatting.

0:17:390:17:41

But sometimes it's a soft lead-in.

0:17:410:17:43

Talk about the charity and then bring it round to PetsFarewell.

0:17:430:17:47

We did a few times, we sort of tried to say, "We have rescue dogs..."

0:17:470:17:50

-She's a chatter, this one.

-Yeah.

0:17:500:17:51

-What?

-I am.

-That's why I married her.

0:17:510:17:54

Next morning, I rouse the happy couple early

0:17:560:17:59

and to make sure the equine business isn't just flogging a dead horse,

0:17:590:18:02

I arrange to meet Ian and Karen under the shadow of the Mournes.

0:18:020:18:06

-Good to see you.

-You too.

-Good to see you.

0:18:060:18:08

You probably wonder what on earth you're doing in a foggy car park.

0:18:080:18:12

You're here to saddle up, mount

0:18:120:18:13

and take your PetsFarewell equestrian business into a canter.

0:18:130:18:18

What does that mean?

0:18:180:18:20

It means you've got to get in amongst these people here.

0:18:200:18:22

Every one of these people has got at least one horse.

0:18:220:18:26

-And they age and die, and you need their business.

-OK.

0:18:260:18:29

And don't leave it all to this young lady either.

0:18:290:18:33

-OK.

-Not all down to the missus, you've got to chat too.

0:18:330:18:36

I'll be watching you.

0:18:360:18:37

Guys, have you got a couple of seconds?

0:18:440:18:46

Can I give you one of our wee leaflets?

0:18:460:18:48

We've just opened a horse crematorium.

0:18:480:18:50

People get very attached to their horses,

0:18:500:18:52

they usually keep them to a ripe old age.

0:18:520:18:54

As such, I think they would really appreciate

0:18:540:18:57

having your facility to have a crematorium for them.

0:18:570:19:00

I certainly would have when my horses came to their end.

0:19:000:19:03

It's something you don't want to think about

0:19:030:19:05

but we always say it's better to be prepared.

0:19:050:19:07

Have a wee read through that and see what you think.

0:19:070:19:10

I was speaking to a lady down there.

0:19:100:19:11

She was saying when you have the horses so long, 20, 25 years plus...

0:19:110:19:14

-They are pets.

-They are pets.

0:19:140:19:15

-They definitely are pets.

-They are part of the family.

0:19:150:19:18

It's almost like losing a member of your family.

0:19:180:19:21

Well, this mare's a family pet as such, really,

0:19:210:19:24

and we'll have her to the end of her day,

0:19:240:19:26

and the idea of sending her away...

0:19:260:19:28

-It's the hard bit.

-..isn't really what we want.

0:19:280:19:30

-These people are so fond of their animals.

-Yes.

0:19:300:19:32

They want to do the very best for them

0:19:320:19:34

and I think what you're doing is that.

0:19:340:19:36

I've been watching you both, particularly you, Ian,

0:19:380:19:40

because initially, of course, you were very shy but you broke through

0:19:400:19:43

and when you broke through, actually, you were very, very good.

0:19:430:19:46

So what I want you both to do, particularly you, Ian,

0:19:460:19:49

is to get around all the veterinary practices selling in PetsFarewell,

0:19:490:19:53

because that's where the bulk of your business will come from in the future.

0:19:530:19:56

And another thing -

0:19:560:19:58

when you've got the chalet of solace painted up and furnished,

0:19:580:20:01

you've got the horse incinerator in,

0:20:010:20:03

everything's ready, the new brochure too -

0:20:030:20:05

then you're going to have a big open day,

0:20:050:20:07

and I'm coming back for it, yeah?

0:20:070:20:08

While I'm back in London,

0:20:110:20:13

Ian and Karen take delivery of their horse incinerator.

0:20:130:20:16

We have a guy out today to install the new incinerator

0:20:160:20:19

and he's going to show us how to work it and how to use everything.

0:20:190:20:22

He's going to plumb it up to oil

0:20:220:20:23

and get everything wired up for us and ready to go.

0:20:230:20:26

Da!

0:20:260:20:27

I'm relieved that it's here.

0:20:270:20:29

We're going to move it over there and we'll be more delighted

0:20:290:20:32

when the hut is made and enclosed and out of these conditions.

0:20:320:20:36

It sort of feels like it's all coming together now, slowly but surely.

0:20:360:20:39

It's been really scary. It's been really, really scary.

0:20:390:20:42

I kind of think after we've spent the amount of money we've spent,

0:20:420:20:46

I hope it's going to work.

0:20:460:20:47

We've had quite a nervous couple of weeks.

0:20:470:20:49

It's been hard going.

0:20:490:20:50

Near tears at times, I'm being serious,

0:20:500:20:52

it's just, once we get this into the hut,

0:20:520:20:54

then we can just concentrate on getting the customers.

0:20:540:20:57

We've put our own life savings into what we're doing.

0:20:570:20:59

We've self-funded this ourself.

0:20:590:21:01

So it's scary, too, thinking, "Is it going to work?

0:21:010:21:04

"Is it going to be viable? Is it going to keep us going?"

0:21:040:21:08

You know, what we need it to do.

0:21:080:21:09

The thing more stressful is, you think it's going to take two days

0:21:090:21:13

and it works out two weeks.

0:21:130:21:14

You know, you maybe do a couple of hours here

0:21:140:21:17

and a couple of hours there, and it's just...

0:21:170:21:19

It's just stressful.

0:21:220:21:24

One month later, to help lighten their load,

0:21:240:21:27

I arrange for Kevin Spurgeon

0:21:270:21:28

of the Association of Private Pet Cemeteries and Crematoria

0:21:280:21:32

to pay them a visit to make sure that everything is as it should be.

0:21:320:21:35

I mean, one of the things with the association

0:21:350:21:37

is the code of practice we have.

0:21:370:21:39

That's one of the things I'm here today to go through

0:21:390:21:41

is to look at what you're doing here - how you're describing everything,

0:21:410:21:45

making sure that the service carried out meets the standard.

0:21:450:21:48

The pets are alone in the chamber?

0:21:480:21:50

-Yeah.

-All their ash comes out?

-Yeah.

0:21:500:21:53

And prior to any other cremation taking place afterwards,

0:21:530:21:56

-so all their ashes are collected first?

-Yes.

0:21:560:21:58

Effectively, if you can operate as if

0:21:580:22:01

the pet owner was standing by your side at every stage of the process

0:22:010:22:04

and you would be happy for them to see anything you were doing,

0:22:040:22:07

then you can't go too far wrong.

0:22:070:22:09

It's quite obvious they care for the pets they look after.

0:22:090:22:12

They just need to look at refining the service,

0:22:120:22:15

improving the facilities,

0:22:150:22:17

which they've got intentions to do, which is brilliant.

0:22:170:22:19

So what I'd like to do is invite them over to my crematorium

0:22:190:22:22

and they can have a look round.

0:22:220:22:24

Three weeks later, they find Kevin Spurgeon's Dignity in Hampshire.

0:22:240:22:28

Hello, guys, how are you doing?

0:22:280:22:30

-How are you?

-Pleased to see you. Thanks for coming over.

0:22:300:22:33

Started 21 years ago by Kevin's parents,

0:22:330:22:36

Dignity now cremates 5,500 animals per year

0:22:360:22:40

and people spend between £150 and £200 per animal.

0:22:400:22:45

This is the cremator room.

0:22:470:22:49

We've got two cremations ongoing at the moment in here.

0:22:490:22:51

I'll show you inside.

0:22:510:22:53

This is a hot half machine,

0:22:530:22:54

which is what most of the human machines have.

0:22:540:22:57

-Another thing was the cremulator.

-Yes.

-What we tend to do first

0:22:570:23:01

is we reduce the remains down a little bit finer.

0:23:010:23:03

OK, so all out.

0:23:030:23:05

Start.

0:23:070:23:09

Makes life a lot easier. The majority will fall straight in.

0:23:090:23:13

As ever, adapting,

0:23:130:23:14

radiator paintbrush for just getting around into the crevices,

0:23:140:23:18

just means you can get all the ashes out in a quite easy way.

0:23:180:23:21

People are paying for your attention to detail.

0:23:210:23:24

And for Dignity, detail is key.

0:23:240:23:27

We're able to get all the remains out with relatively little fuss.

0:23:270:23:32

Very simply, we just have an ashes container

0:23:320:23:35

and then we're going to remove the remains using a half rake,

0:23:350:23:38

so very much like humans do.

0:23:380:23:41

A lot of human crematoriums use that half rake, that would be it.

0:23:410:23:43

What we have is a wetted brush,

0:23:430:23:45

which we can remove the rest of the remains,

0:23:450:23:47

so we know that chamber is pristine.

0:23:470:23:50

Kevin continues his tour

0:23:500:23:52

and shows Ian and Karen the customised hearses, the cool room

0:23:520:23:56

and the garden of remembrance, where pets' ashes can be scattered

0:23:560:23:59

before offering some vital advice to the pet crematorium couple.

0:23:590:24:03

You've got your customers and you've got your clients.

0:24:030:24:06

You've got veterinary clients

0:24:060:24:07

and you've got your physical pet owner customers.

0:24:070:24:10

Connect with the pet owners.

0:24:100:24:11

I have thoroughly enjoyed myself.

0:24:110:24:13

It's been one of the best days I've ever had.

0:24:130:24:15

Joyous junkets are one thing,

0:24:150:24:16

but I need Ian and Karen to sell their business to the local vets.

0:24:160:24:20

Hi, I'm Karen Matthews from PetsFarewell.

0:24:200:24:22

-Thanks for taking the time.

-How are you doing?

0:24:220:24:24

-I'm Karen Matthews from PetsFarewell.

-Nice to meet you.

0:24:240:24:28

-I'm Karen.

-Welcome to City Vets.

-Thanks for taking the time to see us.

0:24:280:24:31

This is our standard range. Then our deluxe range as well.

0:24:310:24:35

There's cast iron figures and they're about between £10 and £15 extra.

0:24:350:24:38

There's no fee for either us to come and collect bodies,

0:24:380:24:41

if you need us six times in a week, we'll be here

0:24:410:24:43

and there's no fee for that, and there's no fee for clinical waste.

0:24:430:24:46

We also offer the service that if a customer leaves the body

0:24:460:24:48

and want the ashes back quicker, they can come and collect them

0:24:480:24:51

directly from us and we still bill you for it.

0:24:510:24:53

This is our price list. We've recently just rebranded.

0:24:530:24:56

We've been running for 15 years.

0:24:560:24:57

Brought some of the newer pieces. These are the wee Eden caskets.

0:24:570:25:00

The Eden casket? I like that.

0:25:000:25:02

-Aren't they really nice?

-That is very nice.

0:25:020:25:04

And that's the dark wood there as well.

0:25:040:25:06

We offer complimentary fur clippings.

0:25:060:25:08

We're also now able to do paw prints,

0:25:080:25:09

which is amazing and has gone down really well.

0:25:090:25:11

Those come in black or white

0:25:110:25:13

and again, all different sizes depending on your needs.

0:25:130:25:15

It seems the complete package.

0:25:150:25:18

I'll have a little look at the prices and see

0:25:180:25:20

if we can maybe do some business.

0:25:200:25:22

Thank you so much for your time.

0:25:220:25:23

Ian's right. Karen can talk.

0:25:230:25:25

Somebody's got to.

0:25:250:25:26

I'm on my final journey to Moira to see Ian and Karen.

0:25:320:25:36

Today they launch PetsFarewell, their crematorium business,

0:25:360:25:39

and I hope they've got everything ready.

0:25:390:25:41

One of my horses is a 24-year-old gelding,

0:25:470:25:49

so I may well be in the market for

0:25:490:25:54

a place like this in the coming years.

0:25:540:25:57

Things have certainly changed.

0:25:590:26:02

Look at this path here, trees, a little statue. Very good.

0:26:020:26:06

Oh, my word. Wonderful.

0:26:060:26:08

Big change. I could take my holidays here.

0:26:080:26:12

And these are all the products.

0:26:120:26:14

Then we've got the caskets.

0:26:140:26:15

When do you actually start talking about money?

0:26:150:26:18

We usually take payment after everything's been sorted

0:26:180:26:20

-when they come back to collect the ashes.

-Really?

0:26:200:26:22

They don't get the ashes until they've paid, I guess.

0:26:220:26:25

I'm not going to hold you up

0:26:250:26:26

because this afternoon PetsFarewell gets its official launch

0:26:260:26:29

and you've got a lot to do. Go on, off you go.

0:26:290:26:30

No problem. Thank you.

0:26:300:26:32

It's just so nice to have somebody who understands

0:26:330:26:36

what the devastation is when you lose your pet.

0:26:360:26:39

You put every bit as much into each pet as you would put into any child.

0:26:390:26:43

It's devastating when you lose one. You maybe have them 15 years.

0:26:430:26:47

You wipe over the paw, put the paw onto shiny paper and blow on it

0:26:470:26:50

and it comes up with a perfect paw print.

0:26:500:26:51

We've tried it with a few of my cats and dogs

0:26:510:26:53

but it's not as easy when they're alive.

0:26:530:26:55

It's hard to get them to sit still.

0:26:550:26:57

I don't know whether they'll consider it,

0:26:570:26:59

maybe bereavement counselling or something in the future

0:26:590:27:01

would probably be a wonderful thing too.

0:27:010:27:04

So here she is - the horse incinerator.

0:27:080:27:11

Is this the permanent place for it?

0:27:110:27:13

No, it'll be installed over in the yard.

0:27:130:27:15

And there'll be a building fabricated round it.

0:27:150:27:17

But you need to get this thing fed,

0:27:170:27:18

and how many horses can you turn to ashes in a day?

0:27:180:27:21

-One.

-One a day?

0:27:210:27:23

At the minute, one a day by the time it cools down.

0:27:230:27:26

-And that's maybe £600 a day.

-Yes.

0:27:260:27:29

Do five of those a week, you'd be all right, wouldn't you?

0:27:290:27:31

-£3,000 a week...

-It would be good if we could.

0:27:310:27:33

-Yeah.

-You're in business.

-Yep.

0:27:330:27:35

I'd just like to thank you all for coming today.

0:27:420:27:44

This is our official opening today for PetsFarewell.

0:27:440:27:47

It's been a busy few months for Ian and I,

0:27:470:27:49

so we're just hoping things continue to go good

0:27:490:27:51

and thank you all for being here.

0:27:510:27:53

Well, here we are at the end of a very successful launch day

0:27:580:28:01

due to all the energy that Karen and Ian put into it.

0:28:010:28:04

Their newly branded PetsFarewell is up and running.

0:28:040:28:08

They've ignited a new business,

0:28:080:28:10

but now they've got to sell and sell and sell again

0:28:100:28:13

every day of the week.

0:28:130:28:15

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