DES MOINES, Iowa — Hamilton's Funeral Home in Des Moines is offering free pet cremation services to Greenfield pet owners who lost their pets in the deadly EF-4 tornado that swept through the city three weeks ago.
The funeral home said it wanted to offer its services for free, because employees understand how difficult this time is.
"We saw the devastating news obviously," said Hamilton's Pet Services director Sanita Simms. "It was a shock to us. We do have an employee here who is originally from Greenfield, so that initial shock for her family that is still there, we just wanted a way to support them."
So Simms and Hamilton's Pet Services, which has done pet cremation since 2018, wanted to assist their coworker and Greenfield residents who might need that extra support for guidance and grieving.
"[Some residents] lost everything. So the only way we thought we could help our community is by offering our services for free to them," Simms told Local 5 News.
Hamilton's says its pet cremation services are completely private, meaning the funeral home cremates one pet at a time, instead of many at once. However, Simms mentioned sometimes people prefer communal cremation instead elsewhere.
"The biggest thing I think I've seen from people is just the guilt," she said. "Like 'what could I have done to help them?'"
Simms knows saying goodbye is never easy, but said she wants to assist families through this difficult process with dignity and respect.