In November 2014, Hu Yuying returned to China from Australia with her longtime companion, an Eskimo dog named DOOLY. For Hu, her pet was more than just a furry friend; it was her family. When DOOLY passed away, Hu faced challenges but eventually arranged a dignified farewell at a pet funeral home in Zhongshan City.

Shortly after DOOLY's departure, Hu Yuying joined a pet funeral home near Vanke Mall in Guangzhou South Station and became a pet funeral director. "Experiencing such a farewell made me realize the immense pain of losing a pet," she expressed.

In Hu Yuying's shop, the final farewells unfold every day." We provide dedicated ash storage rooms for clients to keep their pets' ashes. Pet funeral directors regularly clean the memorial area, but most clients prefer to take their pets' ashes home to ease their longing," Hu Yuying told reporters.

While managing the aftermath of pets' passing, Hu Yuying also attends to the emotional needs of their owners. By attentively listening to their stories, she assumes the role of a companion and draws from her similar experiences to help them overcome grief.

Post-90s girl Liang Sisi has already made over a thousand felted wool replicas of pets. More than half of these pets have passed away, and their owners have commissioned Liang to create 'same-style' felted replicas in their memory. Netizens affectionately refer to her as the “pet resurrectionist.”

Liang's journey into felting was sparked by her cat, L-ge. Several years ago, while scrolling through videos on her phone, she was captivated by a charming felted pet creation and decided to learn the craft to memorialize L-ge. Soon, her first felting creation of L-ge came to life.

After eight years of companionship, L-ge left due to illness, leaving Liang heartbroken. To this day, Liang avoids reminiscing about her time with L-ge, fearing it would bring uncontrollable tears. She has yet to complete L-ge's felted portrait.

Thanks to Liang's viral presence on social media platforms, many clients seek her out to commission bespoke felted replicas of their pets.

"Relating to the sorrow of losing a pet, I pay special attention to capturing every detail in the felted replicas," Liang shared. "The felting process involves shaping, dyeing, and fine-tuning, with the latter being crucial. It often involves constant communication with the pet owners, and sometimes, a single piece may undergo refinement for up to six months."

Clients often share their pet stories along with the materials needed for custom felted replicas. Sometimes, they view Liang not just as a craftsperson but also as a confidante who understands their emotional bond with their pets.

For pet owners, the departure of a beloved companion doesn't signify their exit from their lives. The memories and love they shared with their pets will forever remain cherished and irreplaceable.

Source:Yangcheng Evening News

当爱宠离开时，我们如何与它告别

2014年11月，胡玉莹与相伴多年的宠物爱斯基摩犬DOOLY一起从澳洲回到国内生活，在她看来，朝夕相处的宠物就像自己的家人。在DOOLY离世的时候，胡玉莹几经波折后联系到了中山市一家宠物殡葬店，为它举办了一场体面的葬礼。

DOOLY离开不久后，胡玉莹在广州南站万科汇附近，加盟了天宠宠物殡葬店，并且选择成为一名宠物殡葬师，“正是因为我经历过这种告别，我才能够理解宠物的离去会给主人带来多大的痛苦。”

在胡玉莹的店里，每天都在上演着最后的离别。“店里会提供专门的骨灰寄存室，来供客人寄存宠物骨灰，宠物殡葬师们会定期帮忙打扫祭祀，不过多数客人还是会把宠物骨灰带回家存放起来，以解思念。”胡玉莹告诉记者。

在打理宠物“身后事”的同时，主人的“心里事”也需要胡玉莹的关注。认真倾听宠物主人们的故事后，她承担起陪伴者的角色，有类似经历的她更能理解主人们的痛苦，帮助主人们尽快走出悲伤。

90后女生梁思思已经做了上千个宠物羊毛毡。因为其中过半的宠物均已离世，被主人以思念的名义委托制作成“同款”羊毛毡来留念，被网友们温馨地称为“宠物复活师”。

接触羊毛毡的契机，离不开梁思思养的小猫——L哥。多年前的一天，在刷手机视频时，一个可爱的宠物羊毛毡吸引了梁思思的注意，她决定要给L哥制作一个羊毛毡，于是便报班学习。不多久一个可爱的L哥羊毛毡头像初见成型，这是思思的第一个羊毛毡作品。

L哥在陪伴了梁思思八年后，因为病痛永远地离开了。时至今日，思思都不敢回想与L哥有关的事情，怕抑制不住难过的泪水，也没有把L哥的羊毛毡头像继续补全。

由于在个人社交平台分享做羊毛毡的工作在网上爆火，很多客人慕名找到梁思思，希望可以为自己的宠物量身定做羊毛毡来留念。

“因为明白失去宠物的感受，所以我会更加重视还原羊毛毡中的细节。”梁思思告诉记者，“羊毛毡制作有三个环节，塑形、植色和微调，其中最关键的就是微调，要在制作的过程中不断与宠物主人沟通细节，甚至有些时候一个作品会反复微调打磨半年之久。”

很多客人在发送定制羊毛毡所需的宠物图片视频资料后，会补充一些自己和宠物的故事。有时候他们不但把梁思思当做一名手艺人，还看成是一位能理解自己与宠物间情感的树洞。

对于宠物主人们而言，爱宠的逝去并不意味着从主人们的生命中离开，曾经存在过的记忆和他们对宠物的爱是不会消失的。

文、图｜记者 贺全胜
翻译 | 刘佳慧