Animal lovers everywhere are over the moon about the news that they can now be buried alongside their furry, or scaly, companions!
New York has recently changed the rules regarding whether pets may be buried by their owners.
New York passed a law which will now allow humans to be buried alongside their pets, without having to do it in secret!
The new law has been received positively by pretty much everyone — well, I mean, who could really be opposed to this? If people want to be buried next to their pets then let them!
Also, this law is not just limited to dogs and cats!
This means that it is not just your conventional pets that you can share your final resting place with, but more avant garde choices, such as racoons or chameleons.
However, there are some caveats to the new law.
One of the main caveats is that religious cemeteries are exempt.
That means that if you are to be buried in a religious cemetery, then sadly you cannot have your beloved pet accompany you. Furthermore, independent cemeteries do reserve the right to not allow pets to be buried there.
Finally, the law only states that animal’s cremated remains can be buried, not their full bodies.
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The law has also been greeted well by most cemetery owners.
Speaking about the topic of pets being allowed in human cemeteries, the owner of Eloise Woods Community Natural Burial Park in Texas, Ellen Macdonald, told The Atlantic :
“It was clear to me from the beginning that people consider their pets part of their family. For some people, pets are their only family.”
Avocation for this law has reportedly been around for a long time.
Director of government affairs for the New York State Association of Cemeteries, David Fleming, told the New York Times that they had began pushing for this law change around five years ago.
Fleming went on to say, “Times have changed; people have a much different view of their pets in the family.”
Hopefully, this news will continue to make pet owners feel even more connected to their furry family.
When you have a pet, they can quietly and sneakily become a much more important part of your life than you may have realized. The connection between someone and their pet is a truly special thing, especially in the case of elderly people who do not have much other family, if any.
With that in mind, it is only natural that they would want to be buried next to the pet that has brought them such comfort and joy in dark times!
h/t: New York Times & Animal Rescue