It was in the basement of a funeral home in rural Nova Scotia that Shay Lhea reconciled her feelings around the great unknown.
Her grandmother laid before her, moments away from being cremated. Lhea鈥檚 relatives were reeling and couldn鈥檛 be in the room with the recently deceased for more than a few minutes.
rtist Shay Lhea designs high-end, customized pet urns out of her West End apartment. (Photograph By DAN TOULGOET)
鈥淚 stayed down there for 20 minutes or longer. I studied her and I touched her,鈥� Lhea said. 鈥淚t started there and I remember this intense feeling within me to want to find ways to portray death in a really, really beautiful light.鈥�
鈥淚 stayed down there for 20 minutes or longer. I studied her and I touched her,鈥� Lhea said. 鈥淚t started there and I remember this intense feeling within me to want to find ways to portray death in a really, really beautiful light.鈥�
Made specifically for pets, the urns range in size between the equivalent of a teacup or Mason jar and are wrapped in bamboo. Each one is hand painted and features varying designs and bells and whistles.
Making the urns 鈥� or 鈥渧essels鈥� as Lhea calls them 鈥� ornate, colourful and decorative is what Lhea banks on being her primary selling point. Adding liveliness to the urn takes away the stigma and sting of death.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just creating the urns and selling them to people,鈥� Lhea said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about wanting to change the way that people think about what happens behind your person or your pet passing away and the feelings that we have surrounding that.鈥�
The death of Lhea鈥檚 grandmother was the impetus behind her change in thinking, but it鈥檚 the impending departure of her 16-year-old dog Kahvey that compelled Lhea into action.
Lhea has squared the pooch鈥檚 deteriorating health 鈥� he suffers from Cushing鈥檚 Disease 鈥� but won鈥檛 accept his final resting place to be blas茅. It鈥檚 the same frustrating scenario Lhea鈥檚 family went through when saying goodbye to their grandmother.
鈥淲e already had a plan to scatter her ashes in the ocean, so why do we need a vessel?鈥� Lhea said 鈥淭he funeral home started to feel like an upsell and then it started to feel like a one-stop shop. I got so uncomfortable with it. It felt so weird and so wrong.鈥�
Having only launched the business two months ago, Lhea is curious to see who her demographic will be. Many of Lhea鈥檚 friends have elderly pets and are of the belief that death can only be terrible. It鈥檚 within that sphere that Lhea wants to carve a niche 鈥� to get people thinking about death long before it happens, and an urn befitting of their dearly departed.
鈥淚 want people to find something that they can bond with, a vessel, long before their pet passes away,鈥� Lhea said. 鈥淚 want them to be prepared that absolutely your pet is going to pass way before you die. That鈥檚 just a part of getting a pet and everybody knows it.鈥�
Lhea鈥檚 urns range in price between $60 and $300 are available online at .
