Furever

Sixty-two percent of Americans own pets, spending nearly 53 billion dollars on their furry family friends annually. When our pets pass on, it can be a heartbreaking and personal tragedy that can also be tough to share with others. There is now an industry wherein pet owners can have jewelry, urns, and portraits made, not to mention tattoos using the DNA of their pets. You can have your pet “remade” using your pet’s own skin. There is even a way to have a necklace made of your pet’s nose print (which is actually kind of cool). FUREVER is a documentary about the people looking to hang onto the memories of their four-legged loved ones, and the booming trade that is providing services that are an equal amount of creativity, empathy, and opportunity. Some people may think that choosing ways to memorialize dead pets is misplaced grief, yet humans have been mummifying each other since the beginning of time. FUREVER isn’t just about an industry that provides methods of pet preservation; it is also a study of how the relationship between owner and pet has grown throughout the centuries into a full-fledged family unit. Whether you’re a pet parent yourself, or friends with some, FUREVER gives you an intimate look into the gratitude and grief that goes with loving your pet. – T.W.