Pet cremations, which are traditionally for pets that are abandoned or stray, are gaining popularity in Oklahoma, where a nonprofit called Oklahoma Pets Inc. is opening a pet cremation facility in Oklahoma City.
The city has been trying to bring pet cremations in since 2014.
The nonprofit, which is also called the Oklahoma Pet Registry, plans to accept pets at its new site by January 2019.
Pet crematers typically charge $300 to $400 for a single cremation and $5,000 to $6,000 for two cremations.
The group is looking for people who can handle the paperwork and be prepared to spend a minimum of $15,000 on cremation equipment.
In the meantime, the nonprofit is also offering $15 credit for pet cremators.
The move follows a $300 million fund-raising campaign by the nonprofit.
Oklahoma City officials hope the new facility will help address the city’s homelessness problem, which has reached record levels.
The Tulsa World reported in February that Oklahoma had the highest homelessness rate in the country, with 673 people in shelters.
Oklahoma is the fourth-largest city in the U.S. and the fourth largest city in Canada, according to the U of M. The homeless population in the state was estimated at nearly 4.6 million in 2014.
According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, there were nearly 10,000 homeless people in Oklahoma in 2013.
It’s unclear how many of the new pet crematers are for pets, but the group says it hopes to add to the number of pet crematories in the next year.
The Oklahoma City area has long been a hub for pet adoption, with about 15,000 dogs and cats adopted out there last year, according the Tulsa World.
The state is also home to an animal shelter and a shelter for neglected and abused animals.
Oklahoma officials have not yet announced any funding plans for the pet crematory.
Oklahoma has more than 700 pet crematoriums and the Oklahoma City Animal Care and Control is looking to expand to more pet crematorys.
