Every rainbow has its end

As the flier says, “Pet cemeteries are as old as the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt.” If you leave it up to the vet, your precious Mittens or your buddy Buddy is destined for cremation or the rendering plant. After seeking out alternatives to such unceremonious procedures, local pet enthusiast Linda Russell realized that the closest pet cemetery to Chico was in Anderson, so she decided to create a resting place for local pets. Her Rainbows End Pet Cemetery & Burial Services, which will be located on Doe Mill Road in Forest Ranch, should be open for its first burial next spring. The last hurdle is securing the necessary endowment to ensure that the land will remain a designated place of rest for our furry loved ones forever.

What services are you offering?

Pet burial, just like a regular cemetery. The law requires you use a certain kind of casket. We don’t use wood anymore. You have to use a special type of material that is water and air resistant.

How much is it for a burial?

Depends on the size of the pet, the size of the casket, size of the gravesite.

What if they aren’t put in a cemetery?

The other thing I’ll offer people is the caskets. I’ll show them the proper way to seal them and the proper way to bury them.

Can I be buried next to my cat?

If you have a big enough property, and you own the property.

What about in your cemetery?

No humans in this cemetery.

Can you bury a horse?

I don’t know that I will. The L.A. pet cemetery has Hopalong Cassidy’s horse [Topper].

Do you have pets?

I’ve always had dogs. Our dogs are our life. People feel the same way about their birds, their turtles. … That dignity, that respect, that gentleness is what we all deserve.

Do you think your dogs will be scared to walk on the cemetery grounds?

Oh no. It’s going to be such a beautiful place, where you’ll want to go with your family and pets. Not like a human cemetery. It will be like an arboretum with beautiful trees and flowers.