Britain is a nation of animal lovers but funeral directors say they are increasingly being asked to arrange for healthy pets to be put down. So should owners be able to take their pets with them to the grave?
Seven-year-old Laddie is the perfect companion to owners Dorothy and Barney Squirrell.
He’s a healthy, happy Cairn Terrier in the prime of his life but his story could have been very different.
When planning her funeral, Laddie’s previous owner asked for him to be put down when she died and buried in her coffin with her.
She was worried about who would look after Laddie once she was gone.