Why aren't animals buried in human cemeteries?

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The reasons for purchasing pets are varied: some people want to come home and see another living creature, for others it is a way of instilling responsibility, and for others it is simply an aesthetic contemplation of beauty. If previously cats and dogs were mainly considered pets, in our time the list has expanded significantly. Sometimes it includes quite exotic species. Regardless of what qualities a pet has and how long it lives, all of them are not immune from death. What to do in this case and is it possible to bury animals?

At what age do quadrupeds die?

The lifespan of a four-legged friend is very individual and depends on the breed, living conditions and state of health. Unfortunately, the possibility of death as a result of accidents or from a dangerous disease is quite high.

According to statistics, large and giant individuals live from 9 to 11 years, and the average life expectancy of smaller dogs is 12-15 years. Representatives of yard breeds have good health and can live up to 20 years.

It is within the power of the owner to extend the years of the pet. This is facilitated by proper care, a balanced diet, and careful attention to health. Regular vaccinations and treatments against parasites save you from diseases.

Procedure for disposal and burial of a pet

Veterinary rules and city improvement rules say that biological waste such as animal corpses must be buried in a special way.

What to do if your pet dies:

1. Within 24 hours of the death of the animal, you must notify a veterinarian of its death so that he can test the corpse for the presence of infectious bacteria and determine how best to bury it;
2. Obtain a veterinary certificate for permission to cremate;
3. After this, the animal must be brought to the cremation site independently. If a stray animal dies, then public utilities take care of it;
4. Choose an urn to store ashes;
5. Choose a place to scatter the ashes or a cell in the columbarium;
6. Order a memorial plaque (if required);
7. Receive the ashes and deliver them to the burial site.

There are specialized services that will fulfill all the items on this list for you.

What the law says

The death of a pet is a heavy blow for the entire family. It is difficult for people to think calmly and make the right decisions during this time. Therefore, situations arise when burying a dog turns into a law-breaking act.

Permitted and prohibited places

Many owners of four-legged friends act incorrectly due to ignorance or misunderstanding of how to act in this situation. A person does not have complete information about where a burial can or cannot be held - because he simply did not think about it in advance.

In fact, the law strictly regulates the disposal of bodies, including pets. There are specially designated places for burials. Unfortunately, they are found only in big cities. There you can also find organizations that provide burial services for a deceased friend. The cost of holding such an event is quite high, but the owner can be sure that everything will be done without violations.

The law also allows burials outside the city limits in places where no people live. This option is suitable for residents of villages and small towns where non-residential open spaces are nearby.

So, you can't bury a dog:

• in the courtyard of a residential building;
• in a city park or square;
• in areas where pets are walked;
• in forest belts within urban settlements.

How to bury an animal

If everything is clear with the human funeral procession and there is certain information that can be obtained from various sources, then there is no such information about the funeral of pets.

There are two types of burials:

• cremation,
• burial in the ground.

Since most people do not tolerate the process of cremation, they traditionally bring the corpses of their animals to the earth. This procedure can be done both on private plots and in public parks. It must be remembered that if a pet dies from an infection and is buried in the ground, this can lead to an outbreak of disease.

Doctors note that such buried infections can remain in the ground for about half a century. And in this case, there are no guarantees that this burial will not be dug up by other animals and this will not lead to a real epidemic.

Where can you bury a dog: 5 options

It is important for the owner of a furry friend to understand how to bury a dog in a manner that complies with the law and generally accepted moral standards. Unfortunately, there are not many options, but you can still make a choice.

Pet cemeteries

In large cities, it is possible to bury pets in special cemeteries. There are organizations that provide burial services. These companies own plots of land on which graves and headstones can be placed. Using a specialized animal cemetery has a number of advantages:

1. The place remains untouched.
2. Burial on special plots of land does not violate the law and complies with sanitary standards.
3. All responsibilities for the ceremony are handled by the funeral service bureau, which frees the owner from additional worries.

Such graveyards also have their drawbacks. First of all, we are talking about the cost of the service. Not every owner can afford to honor the memory of a four-legged friend by using the services of a funeral home and purchasing a plot in the animal cemetery. In addition, ritual offices for four-legged animals exist only in large populated areas.

Cremation service

Cremation is the only permitted method of disposing of a dog's body without burial. Carrying out the procedure helps to avoid rotting and subsequent contamination of the soil or groundwater.

The funeral cremation bureau sets the body of the deceased on fire and then releases the ashes to the owner. After this, the urn with ashes can be buried in the cemetery, placed on a shelf or scattered in the wind.

There is a general cremation service for dogs. It is much cheaper than an individual procedure and is performed on a large number of bodies, which are stored in refrigerators for a certain period of time. In this case, the ashes of all pets are disposed of together.

This option is considered the most environmentally friendly in terms of burial and processing of remains. But some people don't like the idea of ​​a common grave.

On your own: in a suburban area or in a forest belt

Anyone who has lost a friend wants a place where they can come and honor the memory of the deceased. This is one of the reasons that people bury animals in the ground on the territory of a country house, a summer cottage, or in the nearest forest belt.

Doing this is strictly prohibited by law, because infections and viruses from a decaying body contaminate everything around. The exception is burial deep in the forest, outside the populated area. According to the rules of the Veterinary and Sanitary Control of 1995, the corpse of a dog is considered biological waste and is subject to disposal, that is, burning.

In addition, the place with a pet buried on its own is often torn apart by other dogs or wild animals. They carry away remains and soil, which leads to additional danger to the environment and people.

Is it possible to do this in a human cemetery?

Burying a furry friend in a cemetery that is reserved for humans is a highly controversial issue. Some calmly accept the proximity of a deceased relative to an animal, while others categorically do not allow even such a thought.

If the owner has a family plot in the cemetery, then the issue of burial is resolved more easily. Here we are talking about the desire of the person himself to bury the dog next to loved ones. However, burying animals in common areas is considered wrong from the point of view of generally accepted norms and does not comply with religious canons.

What is a virtual cemetery?

Nowadays, when the Internet has firmly entered people's lives, web cemeteries are becoming increasingly widespread. These are sites where there are no graves or land, but there is a photograph of deceased pets and farewell words of the owners addressed to their four-legged friends. Here owners can support each other, chat, and share memories.

This service is used by those who cannot visit the burial due to various circumstances. Such services are legally enforceable and therefore receive an annual fee from the owner for organizing and maintaining a grave for a deceased friend. Funds are also used to organize new burial places and to maintain shelters for homeless animals.

Is it possible to bury animals in a cemetery?

The answer to this question is ambiguous. There are both supporters and opponents. By law, a pet's corpse is considered household waste, and therefore must be disposed of in a landfill. but who would agree to throw their close friend into the trash heap?

That is why many people try to bury an animal within a public cemetery through deception and secret means. But in this case, problems arise with public opinion. Even if there is a desire to bury a pet within the family plot, both cemetery services and the church will still be against it.

It is considered unacceptable for humans and animals to be together, although everyone agrees that they also deserve love and respect.

Some clinics have such a corpse, but not all owners agree to this. Owners also ask whether it is possible to bury an animal on their property in the yard? There is no clear answer to this question anywhere. They believe that it is undesirable to bury a corpse in the yard. There is a superstition that if you do this, the following animals will not live long. Also, many people say that you can’t live in a cemetery. But these are just superstitions. To believe in it or not is entirely your decision.

The best article for you, go to: Who is a vicar in the Orthodox Church

How to properly bury a dog

If the owner of a deceased friend decided to see him off on his last journey on his own, without contacting a funeral home, then the entire procedure and farewell must be carried out according to all the rules.

During the winter season

In winter, the ground in most regions of our country freezes very much. This causes difficulty when digging graves. To simplify the task, you can light a fire at the site of the future burial. This will help the soil thaw and make the digger's job easier.

Some people recommend using a crowbar. They can be used to hammer the ground and remove the resulting clods with a shovel. This is a rather labor-intensive process, and if it is necessary to dig a large hole, it will take a lot of time.

You can use another method. Use an ax or chainsaw to cut the surface layer of soil. Place charcoal in the holes formed, pour some kindling liquid over it and carefully set it on fire. You must act carefully so as not to harm yourself or the plants. Within an hour the ground will warm up enough to dig a grave. In some cases, heating with coals will have to be repeated several more times.

In the warm season

There are no problems with organizing funerals and digging graves during the warm season. The owner must choose a suitable place that will not be used in the future for the needs of other people (walking, relaxing, planting). Then, armed with a shovel, remove the top layer of soil, gradually deepening the hole.

It is enough to dig a grave no more than 1 meter deep. After the burial procedure, the pit should be completely buried and marked. This will help you in the future not to lose your place and visit your deceased furry friend.

How to cope with the death of a beloved pet

Each person deals with grief differently. Some quickly come to their senses, others plunge into a prolonged depression. It is important to understand that strong feelings are considered quite normal. The death of a pet can be accompanied by anger and turn into real grief.

To cope with the feeling of loss, you should adhere to the following rules:

• Fill the void. If you had to get up for a walk with the dog every day, you should find something to do during this time. So, you can run in the park or go to the gym. This will help you take your mind off things.
• Remember death. While a person grieves for his pet, life passes by. It is important to remember that death is considered a natural part of life and no one can avoid it. Therefore, you should not spend a lot of time grieving.
• Talk about your feelings. You shouldn't keep your emotions to yourself. It is important to share them with friends and loved ones. If you have no one to talk to, you can write a letter to your pet. This will help you talk it out.
• Keep memories. Bowls, toys, photos of your pet can be put in a box and put away. When internal readiness appears, you can indulge in pleasant memories.
• Get a new pet. It will be painful to think about this at first. However, later a new pet will help you overcome the bitterness of loss.

Is it possible to do a reburial?

Sometimes the owner does not immediately understand how to bury the dog correctly and makes mistakes. Later, the question arises about the reburial of the remains. This is a purely ethical point, so opinions on moving the body vary. Some people are ready to dig up and move the remains, while others do not consider this possible, so as not to disturb the soul of the deceased.

Religious aspect

In Christianity, there is no clear prohibition on burying animals next to humans, but not a single priest will bless such an act. The fact is that the human soul is considered immortal, unlike the soul of an animal, about which nothing is known. Therefore, the church does not recommend mixing the souls of dogs and their owners in one area.

However, burning flesh, both human and animal, is unacceptable. Therefore, according to Orthodox laws, a pet should be buried in the ground, but away from city churchyards. And here the owners of pets face another problem.

Why you should be careful with animal funeral homes

Most owners of deceased animals cannot come to terms with the thought of parting, so to alleviate the suffering they turn to funeral companies. Unfortunately, in the modern market for such specific services there are unscrupulous organizations. They take money for burial and maintenance of graves, but then do not fulfill their obligations.

You need to be especially careful when choosing a virtual graveyard. There are many scammers on the Internet who are ready to profit even from a person’s misfortune.

Possible burial options

There are several options for burying a dog, which are actively used by owners:

• on the territory of a private house;
• graves on the territory of a summer cottage (own);
• spontaneous cemeteries;
• garden;
• field or forest;
• area near an apartment building;
• favorite places where the pet walked;
• human cemeteries.

Pet cemetery

However, all these methods are contrary to the law and harm the environment.

Is taxidermy ethical or barbaric?

Most people consider this way of honoring a deceased pet to be inhumane. However, there are quite a lot of owners who prefer to make a stuffed animal out of their dog. Taxidermists are always provided with work, which indicates the acceptability of this option.

Another way to use the remains of the deceased is to make accessories. For example, from the leather or wool of a deceased friend, you can order a keychain, bag, belt that will remind you of him. Not everyone accepts this option for disposing of a dog's body, but recent trends point to the increasing popularity of taxidermy.

Cremation

Cremation of the animal is considered an acceptable alternative to burial. To acknowledge your pet's departure and say goodbye to it, it is important to go through a farewell ritual. You can contact special services that handle cremation. Moreover, today not only dogs or cats are cremated, but also rabbits, birds, reptiles, and hamsters.

During the process, the deceased animal is placed in a special chamber and burned in an oven. This option for saying goodbye to pets is considered completely environmentally friendly. Many crematoriums allow owners to observe the process.

In this case, the procedure can be general or individual. In the first case, the pet is burned with the remains of other animals. In such a situation, the ashes are not returned. If an individual procedure is carried out, the ashes are returned in an urn. It can be left at home, buried or scattered.

How can you organize a funeral ceremony and say goodbye to your pet?

The death of a close four-legged friend is a serious test for the owner and his family members. If an animal dies suddenly, it is impossible to mentally prepare for this moment. But in the event of a dog being euthanized as a result of illness, injury or death due to old age, it is important to be with your pet until the end. You need to stroke your pet, ask him for forgiveness, and speak kind words.

Saying goodbye to a family friend is always painful, so it would be appropriate to seek help in organizing the funeral ceremony. Some people prefer to conduct a farewell in the same way as for a person - if the whole family considers this acceptable, then there should be no problems.

A pet is a member of the family and its loss is a terrible tragedy. Therefore, a person is often unable to understand what needs to be done at this difficult moment. Having been buried in the wrong place will not add peace of mind - it is best to use the help of organizations that will do everything themselves and say goodbye to the animal according to all the rules.

How does the church feel about burying pets “humanely”?

Contrary to the opinion of religiously illiterate people, the Christian Church does not consider this a sin. Firstly, it is believed that even in such a “trifle” a person should not exalt himself above other creations of God; secondly, many priests agree that man has an unpayable debt to animals - since it was because of the original sin of the first people that animals were also sent to earth, where they received mortal bodies, vulnerable to disease and death.

Well, readers familiar with the Book of Ecclesiastes will definitely remember how the speaker equates the soul of “cattle” with the soul of man.

Spontaneous cemeteries

Are dogs buried in human cemeteries? Yes, there is such a practice. Of course, the animal graves are not located on the territory itself, but in its immediate vicinity. Here, for a fee, they can dig a grave for your pet, which can be very important in the winter. But no matter how much we love an animal, we must respect the feelings of other people. Not everyone can accept a sign with the name of an animal near the grave of a loved one.

Now about spontaneous cemeteries. There is nothing wrong if they organize in the forest. Nature will find a way to recycle biological remains. And crosses and tablets with epitaphs look completely different next to memorial places or churches. For the same reason, we can give a clear answer to the question of whether it is possible to bury a dog in the courtyard of a high-rise building. Of course not, it's at the very least disrespectful to everyone else. This place is best used for playgrounds, flower beds, even car parking. And for burial, find a quieter place.

Crematoria for animals in Moscow and the cost of cremation

An organization that has the necessary cremation ovens must have a license to burn animal corpses.

A crematorium for pets can be found in the Moscow region. Geographically, this is the Odintsovo Laikovskoe cemetery.

In Moscow, a cat can be cremated individually for 2,390 rubles, and a dog (depending on weight - 40-50 kg) for 5,790 rubles. There is general cremation, when several bodies are placed in an oven at once, and this costs much less. Cremation of one animal takes from 30 to 90 minutes.

Birds and rodents, including rabbits, are cremated in Moscow for 1,590 rubles.