Very few of us can really thank the elite class for anything. It's nothing personal. They just live a life most of us cannot image, and some of us may even harbor a secret touch of envy. However, there is one reason why we should be thankful. Without them, we wouldn’t have our beloved pets.

The origin of the pet can be traced back in history about 15,000 years but we must remember that just as man was very different from today's modern version, so was the pet. What exactly does that mean? Well, how does having a big wolf for a pet sound? Yes, historians widely believe that the wolf became the world's first domesticated animal though far from the type that fetches or lies in laps. The first domesticated animals were working members of the human family and had to make a living just like everyone else by hunting and herding to bring much needed food to the dinner table, or more appropriately described, the dinner rock.

Enter the elite class. Since putting food on their tables was not a problem, the ruling class began to breed dogs for companionship and not surprisingly, status. 

Fast forward to modern times and how things have changed.

Today, pets are for everyone from the elite to the commoners and all in-between. Our love of animals is beyond description. In fact, there are more than 77.5 million dogs and 93.6 million cats in the United States alone according to the Humane Society. Their popularity is at record levels because the core characteristics of domesticated animals can be hard at times to find in people—the gift of unconditional love, loyalty and commitment.

During their life, our pets give us everything and in turn, we return the affection. So, when they leave the world, it shouldn't be surprising that we are choosing pet memorials to eternally honor them. Many pets have formal burials in one of more than 500 dedicated pet cemeteries across the nation. But admittedly, burials are becoming increasingly difficult because of cost, zoning laws and lack of available land.

That's why pet cremation is rapidly increasing. It's environmentally friendly, less costly and avoids conflict with local laws. Even better, there are so many options to honor our fury friends. Take for example cremation urns. The urns are handmade from carefully selected woods like oak, walnut and cherry. Also popular is placing beautifully carved bronze statues on top of the urn to capture the unique relationship we share with them.

Another way to commemorate our pets who are no longer with us is by placing their cremated ashes or locks of fur in cremation jewelry. Also, memorial photographs are widely used to remember our pets since they can be placed outside on a fence or favorite dog house or a tree, and the image will never fade or succumb to the elements of the outdoors because of the photos are melted into the ceramic or porcelain base which makes them perpetually weather proof.

Those of us who have had the privilege of having pets commonly say they were just like a family member and the only correction is that they were a family member. Just as they loved us without a doubt, we loved them the same way, too. And now we can honor their memory in a truly  worthy manner by choosing eternal memorials that keep them with us for the rest of our lives.