IT'S certainly a little bit unusual - and now a pet funeral service in north Hampshire is in the running for the National Cemetery of the Year Awards.

Dignity Pet Crematorium, in Odiham Road, Winchfield, will be competing alongside human burial sites for the top prize.

The crematorium is run by three generations of the Spurgeon family and cremates about 15 domestic pets a week.

Dignity's services include collecting dead pets in special animal hearses, a farewell room and a special garden where ashes are interred in plots marked by memorial headstones.

Kevin Spurgeon, 33, said: "No matter what the loss, we all grieve, whether that be a relative of a cat, dog or a hamster - or even a snake.

"They all have a special uniqueness about them that enables a relationship and, in many cases, they become part of the family. People want to give their pets a send-off they deserve."

Mr Spurgeon's father, retired fashion agent Barry Spurgeon, set up the crematorium in 1992 after watching a TV documentary, which showed how disposal companies collected dead pets from vet surgeries - and then shunted them into mass graves.

This prompted him to set up a crematorium service in the grounds of his property that treated pets with respect and met the needs of grieving owners.

Today, a fleet of three animal-adapted hearses with darkened windows are on hand to bring deceased pets to the crematorium, where they are brought to a farewell viewing room before cremation.

Here a religious service can be held, if requested, and a book of remembrance signed before the pet is cremated.

Mr Spurgeon said: "We are here as much for the people as we are for the pets. A large part of work is to help the owners through their bereavement."

The animals are cremated in a unique architectural solution, for the main cremator is a converted 19th century brick kiln.

Owners have a choice of urns, including a dog and cat-shaped box or a picture frame. Alternatively, they can have the ashes interred in a woodland area with headstones. For those who want to bury their pets, fully-lined and dressed coffins are available.

Mr Spurgeon said: "For many people, there is a close bond with their pet and that's why they use us, because they can have their final goodbye and know they have done right by them.

"It's not a macabre experience. It's just a sad part of life, but an important one that has to be done properly. We hope our attention to detail will stand us in good stead for the competition."

In the competition, cemeteries are judged by a field assessment that is made on a single day against set criteria.

The winners will be announced at the end of next month at an awards ceremony hosted at the annual Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) Conference and Exhibition, in Chesford Grange Hotel, in Kenilworth, Warwickshire.