June 30th 2014
“My cat will go to heaven first, and then it will go to Venus and become a citizen there. And then it will die again, and come back to the earth again and transform into a humpback whale with a happy life”. These are the words of seven (and a half) year-old Ho Pak Yin, who recently suffered the loss of his pet cat Lulu.
In this beautiful short film, entitled ‘Goodbye Dear’ (the name of one of Hong Kong’s longest-running pet cremation services), journalist and visual storyteller
Arshiya Khullar explores the process of dealing with the death of a pet in Hong Kong. Following the tearful stories of two pet owners - young Ho Pak Yin and his cat Lulu, and Miss Yew and her dog Dou Dou - the film deals with loss, acceptance, and the different ways Hong Kongers respectfully bid adieu to their furry friends.
“I have attended cremation ceremonies for people before as well, but I think that animals’ cremation ceremonies are more respectful,” Miss Yew, who chose to cremate her dog, explains in the documentary. All pets are washed and groomed before the ceremony, allowing owners one last moment to say goodbye.
And what a lovely goodbye both Ho and Yew give to their pets. Some might say it goes a bit above and beyond, but we sure do love our pets in Hong Kong!
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