Precious metals recovered from pet surgical implants are now being recycled to support the National Military Working Dogs Memorial in North Wales. The initiative has been launched by the Association of Private Pet Cemeteries and Crematorium (APPCC), which has members across the UK, and aims to raise ongoing funds for the upkeep of the memorial.
Six APPCC-accredited funeral providers have already raised £500 for the charity, with the total expected to increase as more businesses become involved. Members are encouraged to bring metal components recovered from cremations to APPCC meetings, where they are collected by director Kevin Spurgeon for recycling.
Mr Spurgeon, who owns Dignity Pet Crematorium in Hampshire, keeps a large recycling bin on site that is emptied periodically by Orthometals. He says the rise in advanced veterinary procedures, including those pioneered by Professor Noel Fitzpatrick, has increased the amount of metal recovered from pet cremations. More families are choosing complex orthopaedic treatments, and dedicated animal hospitals now carry out such procedures.
The memorial, unveiled in 2017, commemorates military working dogs who served in both world wars and in later conflicts
He said this prompted the decision to invite all APPCC-registered funeral businesses to contribute. So far, material has been donated by Chestnut Lodge Pet Crematorium and Pet Cemetery in Hampshire, Paws to Rest in Cumbria, Meadow Wood in South Devon, Companions Haven in Gloucestershire and Prestwood Pet Crematorium in the West Midlands. There are 35 APPCC-registered specialists in the UK, and Mr Spurgeon said it would be “fantastic” if all took part.
Professor Fitzpatrick, Managing Director of Fitzpatrick Referrals and known for Channel 4’s ‘The Supervet’, has backed the scheme. He said, “I wholeheartedly support the Orthometals recycling scheme championed by the APPCC. It honours the memory of our beloved animal friends by transforming something which was once part of their daily lives into a legacy of eternal hope and gratitude.
“To see this initiative contribute towards the National Military Working Dogs Memorial is deeply moving – a fitting tribute to the extraordinary bond between animals and humans, and a testament to the respect they deserve in life and beyond.”
The memorial, unveiled in 2017, commemorates military working dogs who served in both world wars and in later conflicts including Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. It features four bronze statues representing dogs who gave outstanding service, alongside plaques in memory of many others. The land was donated by APPCC member John Ward, who served in the Army before founding a pet funeral service. He said he was delighted and grateful for the APPCC’s support.
The APPCC, established in 1993 to set standards in an otherwise unregulated sector, regularly highlights the need for transparency in how pets are treated after death. It warns that many owners do not realise their pets can legally be treated as waste and end up in landfill. Members adhere to a strict code of practice based on dignity, compassion and openness.
Chairman Nick Ricketts said the charity was a fitting cause for the organisation to support. He said, “It is most appropriate that an organisation which places such emphasis on the dignity of animals is now helping to boost the coffers of a charity that also treats them with the greatest of respect in death.”
