By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – Find a need and fill it.
That’s the formula for a successful business and without question Linda and Cody Duplantis have done that.
Unforgettable Pets in Slidell, a pet cremation service, was opened in Slidell in 2002 and has steadily grown one year after another to the point of performing approximately 125 pet cremations a month.
Linda Duplantis said the only thing that held their business back from growing faster was for the public to realize there was such a company, and that it was located right in Slidell.
“There was such a need for this from the public,” she said. “So many people love their pets as if they were a family member and we provide a way for them to keep a part of their pet forever.
“The day I drove out of a ladies driveway and saw her standing in the rain, crying as I took her beloved dog with me, I knew how important it was that this service was provided,” she said.
Not only is Unforgettable Pets the only pet crematory facility in the North Shore area, but they were recently certified at the highest level possible when they received their Accreditation award as the first facility in Louisiana certified by the International Association of Pet Cemeteries and Crematories.
“We want the public to know that we do everything the right way,” Duplantis said. “We keep records on everything and have an open door policy. Anyone can stop by anytime and see how well we run our operation.”
Duplantis and her husband both spent most of their working lives in the casino business, beginning in that industry in the late 70s while living in New Jersey near Atlantic City. She worked with Harrah’s and was eventually transferred south in 1995 to work in the New Orleans casino in upper management.
Duplantis said she always had a love for animals, even though “my mother hated pets and never let me have one.” So when Duplantis became an adult she began to have plenty of pets, including dogs, cats and horses. Today, she and Cody have three dogs, three cats, and an African Grey parrot named Charlie.
“When you work in the casino industry you always have your eye open for some other job since the business is tough, working so many nights, weekends and holidays,” she said.
She got the idea to consider a pet crematory when she saw an ad in the New Orleans newspaper in 2001 that said a similar business on the West Bank was up for sale.
“I remember thinking, ‘I can do that,’” she said. But the business was too far away to travel, so she began talking to veterinarians on the North Shore and found out there was a great need for a similar business here.
“Most people don’t realize there is an option to have your pet cremated,” she said. “Most people do as we always did—dig a hole in the back yard.”
But pet cremation is a big business, noted by the steady growth in Unforgettable Pets. From their early days of doing only five cremations a month, the business exploded years ago when the only other pet crematory on the North Shore closed down. Duplantis left the casino industry in 2013 and is now full-time with their business.
Unforgettable Pets offers numerous ways for a pet owner to memorialize the ashes of their pet. There are urns for sale for as little as $15, or you can put some of the ashes in a necklace bottle or other jewelry. Duplantis said there is even a company that can make a diamond out of your pet ashes.
The cost for cremation begins at $125 for what Duplantis calls “a pocket pet like a bird, fish or hamster,” all the way to $450 for a dog that weighs up to 200 pounds. She said they cremate military dogs and police dogs from the Slidell area for free.
“Even my grandson wanted me to cremate his turtle,” she said with a smile. “It’s such a good way to keep a real reminder about the pet you loved.”
Unforgettable Pets also offers assistance for elderly individuals who may have a large dog die and can’t bring the dog in.
There are various other services, such as a private cremation where your pet is the only one in the chamber, as well as same-day cremation.
“We’ve done everything from pot-bellied pigs to goats, mini-horses—you name it,” she added. “We’re really proud of everything we do since I have seen how important this is. People with very little money have come in to have their pet cremated since they just want that reminder. We make sure all of our services give that to them.”
For more information, call Unforgettable Pets at 985-639-3393 or go online to unforgettable-pets.com. They are located at 56234 Frank Pichon Rd., just off Old Spanish Trail near I-10.