Passing Paws offers a tasteful, eco-friendly farewell to pets
When family members pass away, the grieving and mourning processes are sometimes too tough to handle.
The same can be said for the passing of a family pet. People can grieve just as much for a pet as they can a family member who passes away.
The Olson family knows that pain all too well and that’s why they have established Passing Paws in Saskatoon, an environmentally-friendly way to say goodbye to your pet.
“The people of Saskatoon have an unconditional love for their pets,” Lisa Olson says. “It’s the loss of a family member they are dealing with, and we try to be very responsive to that.”
Passing Paws uses aquamation, a natural decomposition process that is gaining popularity across the United States but has been slow to catch on in Canada. In fact, Passing Paws is the only the second place in Canada to use the aquamation process.
Aquamation is a gentle and allnatural water system that breaks down organic matter. Once that process is complete — usually in about 24 hours — the remains are allowed to fully dry for one to two days. Remains are often back to pet owners within a week.
Anyone interested can visit the Passing Paws location to learn more about the process before their pets pass on so they are confident in the process. That way, the Olsons say, they will know and understand what will happen.
Passing Paws also offers tasteful urns for pet remains as well as decorative jewelry that can also store remains so their pet will remain close to the owner.
Helping the Olsons to get their business going is Ilusion Millan, who was married to Cesar Millan of Dog Whisperer fame.
“(The Olsons) are incredible people,” Millan says. “They really care about their pets and I’m so proud of them.”
Millan is a family friend who journeyed to Saskatoon to lend support to the Olsons.
A new face, but already nationally known, has arrived to the furniture and appliance retail sector in Saskatoon.
Manitoba-based Dufresne Furniture and Appliances recently opened its doors at the former Sears Home store location on Circle Drive behind Grainfields Restaurant. This is the second Dufresne store in the province and the 14th location in total. Dufresne’s has already opened a location in Prince Albert.
Store manager Krista Boulding, a veteran of the furniture and appliance retail business in Saskatoon, has been tasked with shepherding this new 23,000-square-foot location for the family-owned Dufresne chain.
Boulding says the store setup was done to ease and enhance the shopping experience for everyone who walks through the door.
“The focus is here is on service,” Boulding says. “We don’t want our customers to feel overwhelmed when they walk in. They can walk right over to the area they are comfortable in.”
The store is set up with three main furniture styles including casual comfort, modern and vintage so people with certain tastes don’t have to sort through everything. It cuts down on time and effort for the customers and makes for a more pleasurable shopping experience, Boulding says.
The kitchen area includes three fully functional ovens so customers can actually see how things work.
There are many other areas to the store, from home furnishings to mattresses and bedding. Dufresne even offers a testing mattress to pinpoint the type of mattress that will best suit someone’s sleep.
Boulding is very high on the staff, saying they have an extensive knowledge of furniture and appliances. “Our staff total 150 years of experiences in sales.”
Dufresne Furniture and Appliances Address: 102 810 Circle Dr. E. (by Grainfields)
Phone: 306-653-2736 Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Website: dufresne.ca
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