New York State Lifts Ban, Allows People and Pets to be Buried Together
Published January 10, 2012
Flickr User bitchcakesny
New York has lifted a state-wide ban, and is again allowing people and pets to be buried together in pet cemeteries.
A state-wide ban in New York barring the practice of people being buried with their pets has been overturned by The Division of Cemeteries. According to the Associated Press, new regulations have been issued in late December 2011 which will once again allow people to have their ashes interred with their animals in pet cemeteries.
While some folks may consider this item a tad on the morbid side, pet lovers living in New York State who cannot bear the thought of ever being separated from their beloved fur-kids may actually find comfort in the very idea of being buried with their pets.
Although Albany has lifted the ban of humans being buried with their fur kids, they have set stringent guidelines which must be followed. These guidelines include that pet cemeteries are not permitted to advertise that they accept human ashes and no fees may be charged for the interment. People opting to share their final resting place with their dearly departed pets must be fully informed that the services of mandatory record-keeping and restrictions on removal may not be available.
The report indicated that the first pet cemetery to get permission to resume the practice is the Hartsdale Cemetery, which has been the resting place of choice for approximately 70,000 animals and 700 humans.
Would you choose to be buried with your pets? Share your thoughts in a comment.
Shortly after retiring as a social worker and psychotherapist, I discovered my "writer's voice"…
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Comments (6)
The human-animal bond is a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and pets. It is influenced by behaviors that are essential to the health and well-being of both. Also to the society as a whole, so one should consider owning a pet to be just like any of the family member and hence one should consider the pets care also to be the most preferred task..
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I keep my beloved persian cats' ashes on top of my jewelry box. When I die, they are to be buried with me, or mixed with my ashes. Either will do, they are my Furkids. When no one would visit me while I spent years recouperating from serious spinal and other broken bones, they'd curl up, and kneed me, purr gently while I cried in agony. No human took care of me, through 7 years of that nightmare during the day, as my angels did. I just wish they didn't have PKD, which the breeders used to not test for, bless their little souls.
Mama always said if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all. But I'm going to say it anyway. Side note: I'm surprised that there are laws against humans and pets bring buried together to begin with. Nonetheless, the burials of humans or pets are for the living, and that's as good as a reason anyway. But what I find interesting, is that the same people who claim to believe in souls, are so wrapped up in such issues as "being together forever" --as in being buried together. I believe once a body expires, the soul moves on. Where, or with whom the body remains is of no relevance. If one believes in an afterlife, what does the body mean? And if one doesn't, what does the body matter? It's just silly.
My beloved cats are family members, not "pets"; I do not "own" them, I am not their "owner", and my beliefs are that we will be together in due time; where our remains are, is unimportant to me, but it would be great if they would all be together.
This is very interesting to me. My mom was buried with her dog's ashes in 2009. Of course this was in a people cemetery. It must be that it was legal. When we told the funeral director of mom's wishes he told us it is a common practice. The law must have only been for people in pet cemeteries. I can see the problems with this type of burial and keeping track of records. Next time I get to talk with my cousin, the funeral director, I will have to find out how he feels about this new wrinkle.
Oh my goddess, what next? If I were going to be burried with my pets, I would have to have two acres of land. As much as I lovve and have loved all of them, I just don't think this is a good idea. Besides, what would you do when one dies before the other? Dig one up and rebury the already dead one along with the newly deceased? Just not my thing.