Florist Throws Epic Funeral For His Dearly Departed Dog Complete With A Minister And An Open Casket
Sure it's a bit unhinged, but given the role our pets play in our lives, is a funeral really that weird?
alberto clemares / Canva Pro If you've ever lost a dog or cat, you know just how heartbreaking it can be. So why don't we have any rituals for pet loss, like we do for people?
One man decided to create his own, and it's become a viral sensation.
He threw his pup an epic dog funeral, complete with a minister and an open casket.
People who are a bit over-the-top with their pets have long been the butt of jokes in pop culture — we have a whole genre of person called a "cat lady," after all. But pets really do play an outsized role in our lives.
There's love and companionship, of course, but science has long known that cats and dogs are also actually good for our health, too. From lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, to helping combat feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and even symptoms of PTSD, these furry fiends really are man's best friend.
Suffice it to say, Atlanta florist Alex Holmes knows all of this intimately, and when his "beloved puppy" Auitton passed away in February 2024, he wasted no time or expense sending her off the way such a perfect companion deserves.
Holmes' epic dog funeral had candles, music, tons of flowers, and even programs — just like a human funeral would.
No doubt about it, Holmes' funeral for Auitton puts even many human funerals to shame. The location is dripping with flowers in shades of pink and white, along with custom-made decor and engravings honoring her life.
A pastor even gave a eulogy for Auitton, and many of her fellow canine friends were in attendance to pay their last respects.
Perhaps most surprising of all, Auitton's funeral was open casket — at one point in Holmes' TikTok, attendees (or mourners?) could be seen giving her sweet goodbye kisses as she laid in repose in her puppy coffin.
"Auitton was a bright light in our lives, always greeting us with a wagging tail and puppy kisses," Holmes wrote in a tribute caption on his TikTok.
"She… brought immense joy and laughter into our home as co-owner of Flowerboy Productions," Holmes' florist business. "She was a sweet, affectionate companion who will be deeply missed."
Photo: Branislav Nenin / Shutterstock
And, just like with humans, Holmes was assisted in putting on Auitton's funeral by a company dedicated to such services, Deceased Pet Care Inc.," which Holmes said "provided compassionate care."
"My puppy has crossed the Rainbow Bridge but will never be forgotten," Holmes wrote in closing his tribute to Auitton.
The death of a pet can be as traumatic as losing a family member, if not more so. Yet we have no rituals for saying goodbye.
It's easy to roll our eyes at the very concept of a dog funeral, especially since the only real context we have for one is the hilariously unhinged affair Sonja Morgan held for her gay bichon frisé Milou on "The Real Housewives Of New York."
But much as people like to snicker at some pet lovers' seemingly over-the-top dedication to their dogs and cats, the loss of a pet really is a genuinely traumatic experience in a person's life.
Studies have long shown that losing a pet is as difficult as losing a human family member. And it's not just because of their companionship — our bond with them in some ways is psychological and instinctual.
Pets like dogs and cats have many similar characteristics that allow humans to bond with babies, for example, their disproportionately large heads and big eyes.
These features, which babies share, trigger the same instincts in us that babies do, to emotionally invest in their care and protection. Then there's their softness and cuddliness, which provide comforts to our nervous systems that human beings aren't even capable of.
Photo: Veronica 7833 / Shutterstock
We have no established cultural rituals for dealing with pet deaths.
Funerals help us gain closure and mourn, and in some cultures, notably in Black and Jewish communities, they also provide an opportunity to celebrate the deceased and how they impacted us.
No such rituals exist for pets, though, which compounds our feelings of loss when they leave us.
A lavish, flower-bedecked dog funeral may not be for everyone. But Holmes just might be onto something with his epic send-off to little Auitton — something our minds and hearts might actually need when saying goodbye to our furry friends.
John Sundholm is a news and entertainment writer who covers pop culture, social justice, and human interest topics.