• Pet burials must be on your privately owned property or with the consent of the property owner. (Burials of euthanized pets is illegal on public, city, county, or government owned land.)
• To save you from additional emotional distress, you will want to dig a hole and prepare the site before your pet is euthanized.
• Avoid using plastic bags to wrap remains in as this in not environmentally responsible and will only slow down the natural decaying process. Instead, you can wrap your pet in a shroud* or Euthabag* for burial. If it is not feasible to purchase a shroud or Euthabag, the next best items for burial would be a towel, sheet, or blanket, preferably made with natural fibers.
  • Hole needs to be at least 4 feet deep (too shallow a grave will allow other domestic or wild animals to dig up the remains and these remains are toxic and can be lethal to them. Also, a sufficiently dug hole will prevent odors from escaping which would prevent violating any nuisance codes.)
  • Do not dig over buried electrical lines, sewer, or water lines.
  • Avoid digging near trees and foundations as roots and foundations make digging nearly impossible.
  • Burials must not come in contact with any surface bodies of water or groundwater including inland lakes, streams, rivers, or open drains.
  • Burials should avoid areas of sandy and rocky soils, as well as flood lands.
  • Place a layer of quick lime at the bottom of the hole as well as on top of the body, once placed in the grave, and then cover with at least four feet of soil. (Quick lime powder can be purchased at Wilco, Lowes, Home Depot, and other local and online stores.)
  • If property is ever sold, it is important to notify the future buyers of the presence of any animals that may be buried on the land.

*Euthabags can be purchased through Mobile Cat & Dog Vet. To learn more about this product, visit euthabag.com. *Shrouds can be purchased from various sources, including: Sweetgoodbyeforpets.com