Feature: Remembering man's best friends

"You will never be alone. Your family will love you forever," reads an engraving on a tombstone in the northern suburbs of Beijing.

Li, 70, sweeps the tomb, but it is not dedicated to a relative; it is the final resting place of her pet dog, who died five years ago.

The tomb is surrounded by plastic flowers and snacks, and a photograph of the dog is pasted on the tombstone. Its name was Nini, and it was the family dog for 18 years.

Like many other pet owners in China, Li spent more time with her dog than her children. "Since they were busy with the jobs."

"I miss Nini," Li said. "She was our spiritual sustenance."

The family is very happy with the peaceful plot at Baifu Pet Cemetery, north of Beijing.

The cemetery's administrator, Zhang Youwang, explained that the cemetery offers a range of services including cremation, burial, tombstone inscription and memorial services. They have buried more than 3,000 dogs, cats, rabbits, lizards, tropical fish and tortoises.

The cemetery was founded by a member of the China Small Animal Protection Association (CSAPA) in 2002.

According to the CSAPA, China has about 170 million pet cats and dogs. With an average death rate of 5 percent, 8.5 million pets die each year.

The tombs are similar to those dedicated to people and are made of marble or cement and can cost tens of thousands of yuan.

Each tomb has a 30-year lease, with a fee paid annually.

"The urns range from 100 yuan [16.3 U.S. dollars] to 1,000 yuan and cremations cost 400 yuan to 600 yuan," Zhang said.

In the past, owners would often discard their dead pets carelessly, some even threw them in the trash.

"It brought about a severe problem for the environment," Zhang said.

In Beijing, the problem grew so serious they passed a new set of regulations banning improper pet disposal last year.

So, he said, cemeteries like Baifu not only play an important role in sanitation but offer a special space to remember pets.

However, not everyone supports the idea of pet cemeteries.

As burial land grows scarce and values skyrocket, debate has been waged over whether or not such services are driving up prices for normal burials.

In some extreme cases, the price of burial has led people to claim they "cannot afford to die", Zhang says.

He says he frequently hears others claim that "people should leave enough land resources for themselves, rather than use it on pets".

For those opposed to using a pet cemetery, the CASPA recommends cremation.

It is becoming commonplace for developed countries to have specialized funeral services for pets. CASPA said they believe China could be more open and tolerant towards pets and their cemeteries. Endi