Man's Best Friend Buried in Style

The family files into the chapel, signs the registry, and pays its respects before the coffin. It looks much like a normal funeral parlor, and it is—just not for humans. Instead Oak Rest Pet Gardens in Georgia buries beloved pets, charging $2,000 or more for the service. “Most people couldn't care less about the money when they come in,” says the funeral director. “They want what they want.”

Pampering pets has become an American obsession, partly because celebrities like Paris Hilton have made it trendy, and partly because financially secure baby boomers are filling empty nests, the Chicago Tribune notes. Some will spend as much as $10,000 when these family members expire. “What they're looking for is not too far off from a human burial,” said Oak Rest’s director. “They want to give their pet a dignified and honorable close-off.” (More pets stories.)