If your pet has had diseases such as the common and very highly contagious Parvovirus, the organisms can stay in the soil for up to nine years. Burying your pet in the backyard would pose a health risk for yourself, family members and other animals in the household when they get in contact with the ground.
Check with local authorities to determine what regulations apply to you. If you bury a pet in violation of local ordinances, you could risk fines. And even if backyard burial is allowed in your state, regulations may govern how soon, how deep and how far from groundwater you must bury your pet.
To find a pet cemetery, ask your vet. You can also look under "pet cemeteries" in your local area. Another option besides burial is cremation. Some vet hospitals have cremation services, while other times, the crematory is a stand alone service.
2) Cremation.
If you would still like to keep your pet's remains on your property, but don't have a place to bury an actual body (especially that of a large pet), consider having your pet's remains cremated and returned to you for burial.
Yes, a buried dog does smell, but unlike a carcass left above ground, a buried dog does not smell all over the place. Also, the remains do not get picked up by flies, birds, and animals.
I am not a big fan of wrapping deceased pets in a plastic bag. This will only slow the natural decaying process. Instead, I prefer wrapping the pet in a small blanket, sheet or towel before gently lowering it into the pre-dug hole. You should think about if and how you want to mark your pet's grave.
In contrast, plastic water bottles made with polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a common type of plastic, are estimated to take approximately 450 years to fully break down.
In California, there are no state laws requiring pet owners to dispose of their deceased companion animals in a humane manner. However, some local governments have developed ordinances that cover animal burials.
It is a good idea to wait 2-3 hours after death before burying your pet, to be sure of their demise. Once rigor mortis has set in you can go ahead with the burial. Sometimes the burial can't take place right away. Maybe you are waiting for a family member to come home or for a coffin to arrive.
Some dogs will know their time is approaching and will look to their people for comfort. Saying goodbye to your dog with love and grace means staying with your dog during these final hours, and reassuring them with gentle stroking and a soft voice.
This is simply a preference of the family and there's no right or wrong choice. Over ninety percent of pets are cremated and less than ten percent are buried. This cremation rate is significantly higher than the cremation rate of people - about half of people are cremated.
An adequate depth is three to five feet. This is deep enough to prevent other animals investigating the area.
Backyard Burial Tip: When burying a pet, don't do so in a shallow grave. Be sure to have at least two feet of soil on top of the body. You want the grave deep enough so that other animals cannot smell the pet's scent. It is natural for other animals to dig into the grave if the scent is strong.
You do not need permission to bury domestic pets. You can bury small domestic pet animals such as a dog or a cat on your own land, for example in your back garden. There are no minimum good practice groundwater protection requirements.
It is not just about digging a hole in the ground, we use salt to ensure that the water in the body is dried up and sprinkle bleaching powder to prevent it from smelling.
Your pet's body is usually picked up by the crematorium and brought to the facility in their own transport. Pick-up timing will vary, depending on the arrangement that your practice has with the crematorium. Don't be afraid to ask if you would like to know.
Persistent and incurable inability to eat, vomiting, signs of pain, distress or discomfort, or difficulty in breathing are all indications that euthanasia should be considered. You and your family know your dog better than anyone else, so try to make a reasoned judgement on his or her quality of life.
Some people start to feel better in weeks or months. For others, the grieving process is measured in years. Whatever your grief experience, it's important to be patient with yourself and allow the process to naturally unfold. Feeling sad, shocked, or lonely is a normal reaction to the loss of a beloved pet.
Dead animals can carry a host of bacteria and viruses that can be passed on to humans and pets. Tularemia is a disease that can be spread to humans via contact with a dead animal. It is a bacteria usually found in mammals, especially rodents and rabbits, and sometimes fish and birds.
Yes, a buried dog does smell, but unlike a carcass left above ground, a buried dog does not smell all over the place. Also, the remains do not get picked up by flies, birds, and animals.
When plants and animals die, they become food for decomposers like bacteria, fungi and earthworms. Decomposers or saprotrophs recycle dead plants and animals into chemical nutrients like carbon and nitrogen that are released back into the soil, air and water.
While religious views around the world vary, Christianity has traditionally held that animals have no hope of an afterlife. But Pope John Paul II said in 1990 that animals do have souls and are “as near to God as men are”.
Animals, especially domestic pigs (Sus scrofa), are frequently used as human analogs in forensic decomposition studies. However, recent research shows that humans and pigs do not necessarily decompose in the same manner, with differences in decomposition rates, patterns, and scavenging.
It has been observed that species like Vibrio, Ideonella sakaiensis can decompose the PET. Similarly, species of fungi like Actinomycetes, Streptomyces, Nocardia, Actinoplanes have ability of decomposing rubber from garbage.