Rural folks, especially farmers, depend upon RFD TV for farming and rural television programming. By BETTY MUNSEY/Columnist Rural folks, especially farmers, depend upon RFD TV for farming and rural television programming. The network has a large presence in Branson, Mo., and recently purchased at auction two favorite pieces from the now defunct Roy Rogers’ Museum, which was also located in Branson. They purchased Roy’s stuffed horse Trigger reportedly for more than $266,000, as well as his sidekick dog, Bullet, supposedly for $35,000 in hopes of placing both in a future RFD TV museum. Many of us have been privileged to have had close relationships with our pets over our lengthy lifespan, but I would predict that very few had our pets stuffed and mounted as a memorial. Likewise most family pets certainly weren’t as well known as Trigger and Bullet. The auction of Roy Roger’s Museum contents was playing on the news as my dog and best friend in dog terms lay dying several weeks ago. I could sympathize with Roy watching Bullet struggle for his last breath, wanting his legacy to continue forever. Yet as responsible pet owners, we know that quality of life is important to animals as well as for humans. For 17 years, Babe had been my protector from strangers, my confidant, my encourager simply with the wag of her tail, and my companion on numerous walks through the countryside. Unlike many rural dogs, she never enjoyed riding in the back of the farm truck yet was upset when we didn’t allow her to follow us to the fields with the farm machinery. As a medium-size English Shepherd, she always lived outside in her own dome-shaped house surrounded by a secure dog pen fence.  She welcomed walks in the creek but seemed to think that retrieving thrown sticks was a waste of precious energy. She was terribly afraid of severe storms as well as the sound of gunshots. She loved the mailman yet had a distinct dislike for the UPS and FedEx trucks but not their deliverymen. Babe was allowed to mother one liter of pups before we followed Bob Barker’s famous closing comment on the “Price is Right” to “have your pets spayed or neutered.” Her final burial place was never in question due to the space and freedom of our farm, so she was buried under her favorite pine trees where she loved to run. Urban pet owners have rather limited options for after death disposal of their pet. Several options exist and continue to expand rapidly.  If in doubt, it is always best to check with local officials to inquire about any local ordinances regarding animal or pet disposal. A comic strip family is gathered around the toilet as each child has a eulogy before the final flush of their dead pet fish. Mobile urban families have found pet cremation to be the wisest choice for them since they can carry the deceased pet’s ashes with them when they must move. Pet caskets and urns are available online in a variety of sizes, colors, construction features, and costs similar to the choices among the human population. Oakey’s Funeral Home and Crematory, one of Roanoke’s largest funeral services, now offers similar services for animals as they do for humans. Regardless of the chosen method of disposal, pet lovers always seem to bury a chuck of their heart with their pet while remembering all the good times they’ve shared and how the animal enriched their lives. A retired Extension agent, Betty Munsey lives and farms in Bland County.