Gates orders end to military cremations at facilities that also handle animals

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Friday ordered an end to cremations carried out at mortuary facilities that are not part of funeral homes, the Pentagon announced.

The move was made shortly after a soldier complained that his buddy's remains had been taken to what appeared to be a "pet crematorium."

The Pentagon said the facility - the Torbert Funeral Home - had separate incinerators for animals and humans, but acknowledged that its signage and location in a warehouse district near Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, did not show the respect due military personnel.

The funeral home also displays a sign advertising the "Friends Forever" pet cremation service.