A British woman has caused many to begin talking online after it was revealed that she spent N1.8million (£4,249) on her dog’s funeral.
The dog named Captain the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, 11, died on Christmas Day following a cardiac arrest while on an operating table and it’s owner accoridng to Metro UK, gave it a very lavish funeral.
The owner of the dog Sasha Smajic, 37, said starved for a week following her dog’s death. She reportedly spent £4,249 on the funeral, including £225 on a dove release and another £620 on getting his name written in flowers.
Sasha said:
‘I don’t think I’ll ever celebrate another Christmas. I don’t think I would ever have the strength to do that – a piece of me has gone.
Captain’s body was taken from the vets in a horse-drawn carriage to a park where he used to go for walks. His coffin was then transferred to a hearse for the 40-minute drive to Willow Haven Cemetory in Bedmond, Hertfordshire.
Captain deserved a special send off. For some people he was a dog, to me he was my baby – he was everything to me and always will be.
‘I don’t think we should differentiate [between animals and humans]. If you decide to have a pet then you have decided to have a kid in your family and they should have the same respect as humans.’
‘I wanted Captain to be taken away from the vets with animals, with his friends, and that’s why I decided on the horses.
‘I wanted everything to be white as he was like an angel and demanded white flowers on everything, including the dog statue.
‘I planned a route from the vet past my house and to the park where he spent a lot of time as I wanted Captain to say goodbye to everything he knew and to have that last walk with me.
‘When he died I couldn’t talk to anyone and locked myself in my room for seven days, I couldn’t eat.
‘I still have this physical pain in my heart, it’s like someone has ripped something out of me and it’s empty in there.’
She continued;
‘It meant a lot to me that I received so much love and respect in the way the owner Michael planned everything, I felt like he felt my pain.’
The bereaved owner also spoke on her dog first meeting her; ‘Staffies don’t normally have a good reputation but he defied that stereotype of being an aggressive dog, he loved people.
‘He would teach people that he wasn’t dangerous, he loved babies but got scared when they cried and would try and ‘save’ them.
‘If he accidentally stepped on you and you said ‘ow’ he would wag his tail and lick you to apologise. ‘Captain was a very playful and outgoing dog and loved chasing his tennis ball.’
On finding out her dog was ill;
‘In August I was sitting with him at home and in my heart I felt something was wrong with him.
‘He was being quiet and not himself – it’s a bond you can’t explain with words.’
‘I wanted him home for Christmas and on Christmas Eve spent two hours with him at the vet just holding him as he lay flat on my legs.
‘When I left he walked away and as he approached the end of the corridor he looked back – that’s the last time I saw him alive.’
On grieving, Sasha said;
‘The memories of the funeral help, I keep looking at the images. ‘I have no regrets how I sent off Captain, he deserved every piece of it and more.’
