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.
You can choose to bury your pet at your property. This can be a meaningful and meditative process for home owners able to do so. You can also contact your local council's waste facility about possible disposal options at their site.
What Happens When You Bury an Animal? Though it may strike some as a macabre question, many owners are genuinely curious what happens to their pet after burial. Basically (and without going into unnecessarily upsetting detail), your pet's body will break down (decompose) over time in the ground.
How long can you wait to bury a dog? 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.
What to Expect After the Euthanasia. Once the solution has been administered, your vet will listen to your dog's heart to confirm the death. Your vet will let you know that your dog has passed on. At this time, your vet will probably step out of the room to give you a few moments alone with your dog.
How soon do you have to bury your deceased pet? Most states will give a pet owner 24 to 48 hours after the pet passes before they have to legally bury or cremate the remains. Suppose you decide to place your dog's remains in a gravesite or cremate them in a crematorium.
There are no national laws regarding pet burial. In most cases, however, if you have lost a beloved companion animal and want to bury your pet yourself at home or on your property, you will avoid any legal ramifications as long as you take certain precautions first.
Call the vet
The first person you should call is your vet. If they don't have the facilities to handle your dog's body as you wish they will be able to direct you to someone who does. If there is a Pet cemetery in your area, they are also usually able to make collections.
Options for routine disposal of animal carcasses include: Burial/landfill. Composting. Cremation/incineration.
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.
Burial of Your Dog in Australia
If you would like, you can bury your dog in a casket so long as it is wooden or cardboard. You need to bury your dog's remains at least 3 feet deep. You can memorialise your dog with a headstone, rock or a plant. There are many things to consider when your dog dies at home.
Any pet euthanized with pentobarbital must be properly buried or better still, handled in a safer manner. Sky burials, where pets are left out in the open for nature to 'take its course' is prohibited for any animal euthanized with pentobarbital or similar drugs.
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.
The majority of U.S. households own pets, and although the laws of most states prohibit burying pets in human cemeteries, funeral directors exercise discretion when it comes to placing personal objects – such as the cremated remains of a much-loved pet — in people's coffins.
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”.
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.
The last few days before your dog passes you may notice: extreme weight loss, a distant look in their eyes, a lack of interest in anything, restlessness or unusual stillness, a change in the way that your dog smells, and a changed temperament.
An adequate depth is three to five feet. This is deep enough to prevent other animals investigating the area.
Occasionally, a dog may give a small cry as the injection is given – as with all anaesthetics, there is a brief feeling of dizziness as the drug takes effect. Unconsciousness follows within seconds, often before the injection is finished. Death occurs within a couple of minutes when the heart stops beating.
Rudolph, estimated to be about 8 months old, was chosen to be put down because of overcrowding at an animal shelter in Oklahoma. When the veterinarian returned after injecting the euthanasia drugs, the puppy was still awake.
In some cases, your veterinarian may be able to tell you definitively that it is time to euthanize your pet, but in other cases, you may ultimately need to make the decision based on your observances of your pet's behavior and attitude.
Further, under the conditions of the study (dogs lying undisturbed in cool dry air), body temperature declined to ambient temperature by 24–48 hours after death.
Once you're sure your dog has passed, the next step is to call your veterinarian's office. A vet's office will take your dog's body and either dispose of it for you or store it for you before you have a cremation or burial. They might also know of resources like a pet crematory or a mobile vet service.