Four reasons why people should not bury their pets either in the garden or in their backyard.

It is undeniably understandable that you have the need to feel the presence of your pet even though it is not alive anymore. However, a decision like burying it in your garden could make things worse by causing various problems.

During the ancient years, humans used to have a special bond with animals. For example, ancient Egyptians used to honor their pets to the extent where they even turned whole towns into necropolises so their pets would make it to the underworld accompanied with glory. They would do the exact same thing for their people too.

Milleniums went by, but the primordial bond between people and animals is still growing strong. For most people, pets are part of their family or even the only family member they have in life. For this reason, when their pets pass away, their pain is no different from the loss of a human being. So how can you handle a situation like this?

The emotional part is a very personal thing that everyone has to deal with in a way that makes them feel better.  Now about the practical part, it has to be very specific as any decision we make can affect the health of other people. Burying an animal in our backyard or garden may seem ideal at first, however, it can turn out to be particularly harmful and dangerous.

• Transmission of diseases to humans and animals:

  As we have mentioned above, home burial is a simple and easy way to take care of your pet’s dead body. However, this can be dangerous for other pets or wild animals that may accidentally ‘invade’ your yard. If your pet dies of a disease, burying it in your garden can spread the disease to other animals or even humans. Just think that the body of a buried dog, for example, takes an average of 6 months to 18 years to fully decompose. In addition, if an animal is treated with antibiotics before it dies, or even euthanized, the chemicals in the animal’s body after the dead body decomposes will be transferred to the roots of trees and plants in our garden while it can also contaminate the groundwater that may run through that specific area.

• Strong odors

  A dead body, if not preserved in some way, is expected to smell bad within a few days. The strong smell comes from the dead tissue, as a result of being particularly unpleasant and toxic. If an animal is not buried under proper conditions, it is very likely that the smell will affect the residents’ quality of life near the burial site.

• Hotbed of germs and insects

  An animal’s body begins to decompose immediately after its death. The strong smell that emerges, apart from being particularly unpleasant that can repel people, nevertheless attracts various insects which treat the dead body as a source of food. These insects, after passing over the dead body, are very likely to be found on various surfaces or on food, carrying diseases and germs.

• Risk of exhumation

  In addition to the risks mentioned above, burying a pet in your yard carries the risk of being exhumed by other animals. This can happen either from another pet that lives in the same house or from other animals that will be led to the spot by the smell.
  In such a case, in addition to the emotional burden of the owner, a serious focus of infection can be caused as a result of harming any other animals that might visit the area.

What should you do if your pet passes away

The best thing to do is to contact your veterinarian or a Company which manages the treatment of dead animals that will undertake the safe burial of your pet.

Angels Pet Cemetery is the first licensed pet burial facility in Cyprus to have a specially designed pet cemetery, as required by the Government Services, causing no harm to our public health.