GRAND HAVEN, Mich.- The vet, the clinic, the animal hospital.
Regardless of what you call it, most days your pet doesn't want to be there. And on those dark days you probably don't want to be there either.
But a sign a few feet from the exit of Robbins Road Animal Clinic in Grand Haven works to bring a little bit of hope when the paws at your home fade.
"Well this is heartbreaking to lose a pet, and we don't want to just leave them in a drawer. We want to remember them joyfully," artist Karen Nichols told 13 ON YOUR SIDE.
"Word of mouth spreads fast, especially in a small town like Grand Haven, and so this has been keeping me very busy lately."
Nichols began creating pieces of glass art embedded with animals ashes.
"People have been asking me if I could do some memorial things for their pets, and I realized I can fuse ashes in between the glass. It creates a permanent place for ashes to be rather than in an urn or maybe in just a little plastic Ziploc bag."
Nichols believes she's done hundreds of the pieces but has seen a large uptick recently. She's just happy she's able to bring some peace for so many.
"Almost every time when I deliver one of these pieces the recipient has tears, these are really special."
If you're interested in learning more about Nichols' work you can contact her at (616) 848-6074 or at karenknicholsss@gmail.com.
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