Many people consider burying their pet in the backyard, but a backyard burial isn’t always the safest or most reliable option.
It poses risks to the community and the environment, and it leaves you vulnerable to a second loss if you move or a natural disaster strikes.
Below, we’ll explain why you should not bury your pet in the backyard and discuss the other options you have for giving your furry friend a peaceful resting place.
5 Reasons Burying Your Pet in Your Backyard Is a Bad Idea
Why not bury your pet in your backyard? Here are five reasons the practice is not a great idea:
1. Potential Resurfacing by Animals
If you bury your pet in your backyard, other neighborhood pets or wild animals may dig them up. As pets decompose, they emit gases other animals can smell. Some hunting dogs are specifically trained to find and communicate about items beneath the earth’s surface. When animals like dogs and foxes detect a buried pet, they will dig it up if they can.
Resurfacing becomes a particular issue if the pet had a contagious disease or received euthanasia. Euthanasia generally involves a concentrated anesthetic drug, pentobarbital, that can linger in a deceased pet’s body for up to a year. If another animal digs up your pet and comes into contact with the drug, it could become sick or die. And if your pet died of a contagious illness like parvovirus, that illness could infect other animals and spread through the neighborhood pet community.
2. Resurfacing in Flooding
If you bury a pet in your backyard, it may resurface after heavy rains. A pet that resurfaces in flooding can present the same health risks to other animals as the first point.
More importantly, seeing your late pet washed up after- or swept away during- floods could cause tremendous emotional distress.
3. Environmental Contamination
A decomposing pet can cause bacterial contamination in the soil it touches. That contamination then seeps into the groundwater, which can spread it to other areas. If other humans or animals come into contact with the contaminated soil or water, they could become seriously ill.
4. Legal Issues
Because of the health and safety issues outlined above, backyard pet burial is illegal in some cities and states. 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.
5. Losing Your Backyard Memorial in a Move
When you move, the pets buried in your backyard won’t move with you. Being close to your departed pets can be comforting, but after you move, you may feel a rekindled sense of bereavement from having your pets several miles — or even thousands of miles — away.
What Happens When You Bury an Animal?
Still don’t believe us? Let’s take a look at the scientific breakdown of the biological processes that take place when you bury an animal in the backyard.
Initial Decomposition
A pet’s body begins to decompose several minutes after death. Bacteria in the digestive system begin to break down the intestines and spread to nearby internal organs and start to decompose them as well. Enzymes within individual cells start to break down cell structures.
Active Decay
After a few days, bacteria and insects continue to break down tissues and start releasing fluids into the pet’s body that cause bloating. This bacterial activity can release malodorous gases like:
- Methane
- Hydrogen sulfide
- Cadaverine
- Putrescine
In this stage, other animals can use the distinctive smells of the gases to find and uncover the remains of a buried pet.
Factors That Affect Decomposition Time
Animal decomposition could take days or months. Numerous factors can affect decomposition time, including:
- Where and how the animal was buried — including depth, soil and temperature conditions
- The size of the animal
- What the animal was buried with — whether a blanket, box or bag
Considerations for Burying Your Pet
If you are going to try to bury your pet, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Cremation: Even if you plan to bury your pet, consider having them cremated first. Cremation incinerates the pet’s body so that the harmful parts of decomposition will not take place. Cremains are much safer to bury, and they will not contaminate the environment or harm other animals.
- Depth: Make sure you bury your pet deep enough that other animals and floodwaters cannot unearth them. If you have not cremated your pet, plan to bury them at least 3 feet deep.
- Utility lines: Call the relevant authorities to inquire about utility lines before you bury your pet. You don’t want to end up striking a sewage line, electric line or gas pipe as you dig the grave.
- Location: Spend time thinking about where you want to bury your pet. It’s best to choose a high, dry place if you can to avoid water contamination. An elevated burial site can help keep floodwaters from exposing your pet and prevent groundwater from leaching contaminants into the environment.
5 Alternatives to Burying Your Pet in the Backyard
Here are a few backyard burial alternatives to consider for your pet:
- Cremation with an urn: You may choose to have your pet cremated and lay them to rest at home in an urn. If you don’t want to keep the urn indoors, you can get a rock urn for your yard or garden.
- Cremation with burial or spreading: You can have your pet cremated and bury the cremains without incurring the risks listed above. You can bury your pet in a box or a biodegradable urn, or you can spread the cremains in a place that was meaningful to you and your pet.
- Donation for research: Another option is to donate your pet for research. This option helps promote the welfare of pets everywhere by allowing veterinary researchers or vet students to learn more about anatomy and disease treatments.
- Burial in a pet cemetery: If you want to bury your pet but your backyard doesn’t seem like the right fit, consider a pet cemetery. Your pet can rest peacefully in a beautiful setting, in the company of other beloved pets. Your pet will get a professional burial that keeps other animals and the surrounding environment safe.
- Alkaline hydrolysis: Alkaline hydrolysis, also known by names like aquamation, biocremation, green cremation and water cremation, uses water, heat and alkaline chemicals instead of flame to break down a body. It allows the body to undergo decomposition much faster than under natural circumstances. Afterward, the fine bone-fragment cremains are returned to the owner.
Contact Agape Pet Services for Respectful Pet Cremation
For assistance in saying goodbye to your pet, contact Agape Pet Services. Our pet cremation services help you give your pet a safe, caring farewell. We’ll pick up your pet from your home, and you can choose a communal or private cremation. Afterward, keep your pet close in an urn or a treasured keepsake or return your beloved companion to the earth with love.
Contact us today to learn more.
