Read This Before Burying a Pet in the Backyard

Shortly after Margaret Spalletta and her husband moved into their Lakewood, Colorado, home, a heavy rainstorm unearthed the past owners’ backyard pet cemetery. Spalletta, practice consultant manager and end-of-life care advocate at American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), found several bones, including jaws and femurs. “Being a vet tech, I was familiar with what these were.” 

Although it is legal in Lakewood, Colorado, to bury pets in backyards — if the proper medication for euthanasia is used — these were not buried deep enough. Spalletta brought the remains to a local veterinarian to be cremated communally. “I didn’t want to just throw them away, because that was somebody’s pet,” she says. 

Is it legal to bury a deceased pet in the backyard? 

Burying a pet in the backyard comes with numerous risks; the main one being the toxicity of the euthanasia drug leaching into groundwater or affecting other animals such as wildlife. 

“The use of that medication does not disintegrate in the environment, so it can sedate, anesthetize, or euthanize if there was an accidental ingestion by wildlife,” says Dr. Karen Whala, Co-Founder of CodaPet - At Home Pet Euthanasia. The drug can last for months or even years.

While some cities are approving of backyard pet burials, many are not. California and Arkansas do not allow for at-home pet burials, and where it is allowed, there can be strict rules and considerations to protect water sources. 

Spalletta advises that all of this is public information that local veterinarians and law enforcement will know and can advise on. Even if it is allowed, be sure to follow appropriate laws and regulations. “Seek out that proper guidance,” she says. 

How deep should the pet be buried?

Where burials are allowed, Spalletta and Whala say this will require a large hole that is deep enough for at least three feet of earth on top of the pet. “That can be tricky,” Spalletta says, especially if the pet owner encounters rock or clay. 

Whala adds that the burial should be at least 100 feet from a well or water source, even if there is no water in it. “You want to minimize leaching into water sources and reduce wildlife access to it,” she says, continuing with, “I’ve not found a resource that would confidently put their name to these numbers.” 

Burial can be in a nonporous material — such as a plastic bag or special euthanasia bag — so that as the body breaks down, the chemicals are less likely to affect the surrounding soil, Whala says. But some experts think it’s best to let them break down into the soil by covering the body with fabric and a bioaccelerating agent like lye. “I don’t endorse any of these,” Whala clarifies. 

Whala advises that in some jurisdictions, homeowners have to declare in the sale of the property that they’ve buried a pet in the backyard. “Talk to a realtor to learn if you have to disclose during the sale.” 

Ultimately, cremating pets or avoiding backyard burial altogether avoids these risks, she says. 

What are the options around cremation and aquamation? 

After a beloved pet passes, the most common and least risky option that pet parents have to memorialize them by is cremation. They can still proceed with backyard burial, or they can keep the cremains with them no matter where they live — like an apartment — or eventually move to, Whala says. 

There are two types of flame-based cremation to consider: communal or individual. Communal, or group, cremation is where the crematorium cremates a pet with others and afterwards spread their ashes in a respectful way. On average, communal cremation is considered the more affordable option for cremation, has no ashes returned to the pet parent, and may cost about $.50-$1.50 per lb of body weight, Whala says. Animal control and pet rescues might be able to help for bulk discounts. 

Individual — or private — cremation allows for a pet’s ashes to be returned to the pet’s loved ones; this option is more expensive, and is often a general service available at many vet clinics and some SPCAs. White-glove pet memorialization services might also be available, though at a premium.

“There are times when people can’t afford private [cremation], and that’s OK,” Spalletta says. “Communal cremation is still a very appropriate and respectful way to dispose of a pet.” 

The most environmentally friendly method of body decomposition is aquamation, where the body is decomposed in water. This option is still very new and oftentimes more expensive than a flame-based cremation, but is becoming quite common and popular, Spalletta says. 

What about pet cemeteries? 

Pet cemeteries — like human cemeteries — are places where pet parents can visit their loved ones as much as desired, separate from a residential property. Due to maintenance and landscaping, this is one of the more expensive options for pet memorialization. 

Whala estimates costs in the $500-1,500 range, not including markers or headstones. One pet cemetery, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, charges $400 for standard cremains burial, and up to $800 for large cremains or full burial. 

Are there other options for memorializing a deceased pet? 

Carolyn Tracy, project manager of stewardship at Best Friends Animal Society, shares additional options for pet memorializations, such as a funeral or memorial service, a trip to a favorite place, or a fundraiser in the pet’s memory. “While it doesn’t have to be anything lavish, it can be helpful simply to take that time to process grief with others — whether it’s one person or 50 — who care about you and your beloved pet,” Tracy says. “Ultimately, though, a pet memorial is for you.”

She also sees people choose to keep a memory box with their pet’s favorite toys, a photo, and a collar. Trees or seeds planted in the pet’s memory, a memorial wind chime, and custom pet artwork are other common options. 

“I have found that pet parents really thrive on this when they are involved in memorialization,” Spalletta says. She has also seen pet parents take nose prints, clay paw prints, and fur clippings. Some families make or draw rainbow bridges, so the animal is literally going over a rainbow bridge. 

“When you allow a practice to be creative and collaborative as a group, they come up with some really wonderful things that pet parents can use,” she says. “The sky is the limit.”