Women spends thousands on her dog’s funeral for a ‘proper send off’

It's always heartbreaking when a pet passes away.

For most, they are a major part of the family and we love them just as much as we love our siblings. However, this woman went above and beyond after her dog, Captain, passed away. The 11-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier died of a cardiac arrest on the operating table. Captain's owner, Sasha Smajic from London, said that she didn't eat for a week after his passing and spent her time organising his funeral - his €4,500 funeral. Between floral arrangements, a statue of the dog, a horse-drawn carriage, the funeral service, the burial and a dove release, the funeral totted up to cost around £4,000 (€4,500). She told LadBible: "Captain deserved a special send off. For some people he was a dog, to me he was my baby - he was everything to me and always will be. "I don't think we should differentiate [between animals and humans]. If you decide to have a pet then you have decided to have a kid in your family and they should have the same respect as humans. "I don't think I'll ever celebrate another Christmas. I don't think I would ever have the strength to do that - a piece of me has gone. "When he died I couldn't talk to anyone and locked myself in my room for seven days, I couldn't eat. "I still have this physical pain in my heart, it's like someone has ripped something out of me and it's empty in there." Image:  Kennedy News and Media