New State Law Allows Pets To Be Buried With Their Humans

by pawbuzz on in Dogs 362

New York state laws are evolving to please the state resident pet lovers. One of the newest state law allows pets to be buried alongside their humans.

You may be thinking, “Wait a minute… pets aren’t allowed to rest in peace with their families?”

According to a story by the The New York Times, “It is unclear how many other states allow pets to be buried with their owners in cemeteries meant for people. In general, said Mr. Fleming, of the state’s Association of Cemeteries, the practice has not been allowed.”

That is, until recently…in New York.

Previously, pet parents who refused to “rest in peace” without their companions by their side had to resort to being buried in a pet cemetery. Edward C. Martin Jr., director of the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, told the publication that every year, 5-7 people are laid to rest there.

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This isn’t to say that family members wouldn’t tuck the urn of a dearly departed dog or cat into a relative’s casket. But with this new law, legal and formal plans can be made, making sneaking around unnecessary. What’s more, if the pet happens to outlive its human, both can rest assured knowing that they have side-by-side plots in which to slumber eternally.

A photo posted by Orhan Yuzen (@orhannewyork) on

The New York law states that all animals must be cremated, and allowance is up to each cemetery’s discretion. But there’s no doubt that permitting pets will be a selling point for some who are still deciding where to reserve their plots.

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It only makes sense: if we consider animals to be part of our family, why not be buried together, as families so often are?

“For many New Yorkers, their pets are members of the family,” Cuomo said. “This legislation will roll back this unnecessary regulation and give cemeteries the option to honor the last wishes of pet lovers across New York.”

“It’s like having a kid, so it’s like having a kid buried next to you,” dog walker Shakeema Hutcherson told The New York Times. We think that the pet-mom of a Pomeranian-Chihuahua mix and a temperamental cat certainly has a point. 

Do you think other states should pass similar laws?

(h/t: The New York Times)

More: Think Vets Don’t Have A Sense Of Humor? Check Out These Hilarious Signs



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362 thoughts on “New State Law Allows Pets To Be Buried With Their Humans”

  5. Justin Banks

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    My worry is the pets left living when folks die. Some people have their pets euthanized when they die. I don’t know that I could ever plan that. In the other hand the relatives rarely handle this with much concern for the pet. It is something to think about. Hell if we’re both dead I don’t guess it much matters to either one of us.

  6. Scott Holman

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    It’s hard to imagine why not. I can’t imagine it’s a sanitation issue. My mother was cremated and had her cremated dog buried with her in her urn. I’ve had many dogs but there is one that I’d like with me!

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