It's always hard when your beloved pet leaves forever after many years together. What remains is grief, pain and finally the question: what is to be done with him now?

In a nutshell

  • Bury pets legally in the garden
  • Legislature lays down legal bases
  • various alternatives to home burial

Say goodbye with dignity

Around 34 million pets of all kinds are kept in Germany. Not only do they enrich everyday life, they also become real friends, comforters and companions. When the time has come for dogs, cats, birds and co to cross the rainbow bridge after many wonderful years of living together, all that remains for their owners is sadness and pain. But one question remains in the room: what should happen to the faithful companion now? According to the Animal By-Products Disposal Act (TierNebG) and the associated implementation provisions, the deceased animal must be disposed of. There it is processed into animal meal, among other things. Not every pet owner wants such an ending for their beloved friend, with whom they have been through thick and thin for many years. He would rather have him near him even after his death.

Buried in the garden

Many pet owners would like to say goodbye to their darling with dignity and continue to be close to them. Then, of course, a burial in your own garden comes into consideration. Such a burial is particularly beneficial for children who have lost their playmates and animal friends. This allows them to cope better with the loss and process the grief whenever they can visit the grave. Surely some pet owners are now wondering whether a burial in the garden is really allowed? This question can easily be answered with “yes”. It is usually quite legal to bury pets such as dogs, cats, birds, hamsters and the like in your own garden. However, you must then also observe some legal requirements.

Notice: However, simply burying it in the compost is not permitted.

Observe the legal bases

As already mentioned, what should happen after the death of an animal is regulated in the law for the "Disposal of Animal By-Products" and its implementing regulations. Normally the carcass belongs in an animal disposal plant. This serves to protect health and the environment in general. This is to prevent toxic substances from being released into the environment as animal bodies decompose. However, this law also stipulates that a burial in the garden is possible under certain conditions. So there is for small animals like:

  • Rabbit
  • hamster
  • bird
  • mouse, rat and
  • Guinea pig

no separate requirements. However, they should not necessarily find their final resting place near a kitchen garden. Besides that, it is advisable to bury them in a small box that will quickly rot. Permissions are not necessary for such small animals. The situation is different with larger pets. As a rule, burial of dogs and cats is also legally possible. Further information can be obtained from the responsible veterinary office and also the public order office of the municipality or municipality. There are various requirements to be met. The decisive factor is always:

  • the size of the animal
  • the weight
  • up to 10 kg body weight home burial unproblematic

For larger animals and a weight of 10 kg or more, a permit from the veterinary office is usually required. You must then submit an informal pet burial application. Normally, this permission is also granted. However, there are various requirements that must be met. More on that in a moment.

Notice: Smaller pets such as hamsters, birds or mice do not belong in normal household waste or in the residual waste bin. You are allowed to put them in the organic waste bin. Violations are considered administrative offenses and will be punished with high fines.

Legal requirements

Of course, the first requirement is to have your own yard to bury your pet in. In addition, the legislator has issued further requirements to avert damage to the environment and health. If these are violated, high fines of 15,000 euros and more can be imposed. In the case of a burial in the garden plot, the following must be observed:

  • Distance from property line and public paths and places at least 1 to 2 meters
  • Depth of the grave at least 50 to 100 cm
  • Cover with plenty of soil
  • thereby preventing digging by other animals
  • it is best to leave a small mound of earth
  • Grave sags after some time
  • Use of quickly rotting containers
  • ideal sheets, blankets, towels, newspapers, boxes or special animal coffins
  • no use of foil or plastic fibers

Covering the grave with a stone slab or natural stone would be ideal. This is of course at the discretion of the pet owner. If these requirements are met, there are usually no problems with burying pets in your own green oasis. However, such burials are not possible everywhere. You are not allowed:

  • in water and nature reserves
  • Corpse poisons can pollute soil and water
  • if death was caused by a reportable disease such as tuberculosis or toxoplasmosis

An assessment of possible health hazards emanating from the animal body is made by the veterinarian. If a burial in the garden is not possible, cremation of the dead animal is advisable. You can then bury the ashes in an urn or scatter them. Violations can result in fines of up to 50,000 euros.

Notice: Dead pets, in general all animals, may not be buried in public forest areas, green areas, fields or fields. There are severe fines.

Different versions

However, it must be said that the law is applied differently in the individual federal states. This is regulated in the implementing laws. It is therefore advisable before the burial to obtain more detailed information from the public order office or the competent veterinary office before an administrative offense is committed and fines are imposed as a result. For example, in the Hanseatic city of Bremen, there is a general ban on house burials for pets. This measure is justified by the existing high groundwater level and the dense population density of the city.

Burial on rented land

Those who can call their house and garden their own here can consider themselves lucky. Here you can decide for yourself whether your beloved pet will be buried here or not. It's different with tenants. You can't just bury your deceased pet in the backyard at your whim. Not all landlords agree with this. This can quickly lead to inconveniences. Therefore, the approval of the landlord or owner must always be obtained in advance. Even with allotment gardens, it should be borne in mind that a burial can cause problems. The management of the allotment garden can decide whether it is possible to bury your animal here. In short, any tenant or tenant would do well to contact the property owner or landlord and ask permission.

Alternatives to home burial

If you don't have the opportunity to bury your animal in your own garden, you can fall back on various alternatives. There are various ways to bury your beloved companion with dignity, such as:

  • cremation
  • pet cemetery
  • Friedwald

Many animal owners bury their darling in special animal cemeteries, natural cemeteries or forests. A burial here costs between 100 and 300 euros, depending on the species and, of course, the furnishings of the burial site. As a rule, the grave can be used for two to four years. Extensions are possible. There is also the option of having the animal cremated in crematoria. This can be done in individual cremation or group cremation. The cost of an individual cremation depends on the size and weight of the animal. They amount to approximately 105 to 315 euros. Added to this are the costs of the urn. The ashes can then be buried normally, there are no special requirements. You can also take them home and spread them around. The latter only on their own soil or in uninhabited areas.

Can all pets be buried in the garden that easily?

Pet burials are generally legal. However, the requirements for this can vary from state to state. Burials of small animals are unproblematic. For larger ones, a permit from the responsible veterinary office is required. No home burial is possible in areas within water and nature reserves or if the animal has died of a reportable disease.

Can pets be buried in community gardens?

It's not that easy here. As a tenant or leaseholder, the permission of the respective owner or landlord or the other co-owners must always be obtained for a house burial of pets. They will not always agree to this. Violations can lead to problems. For the animal owner there are alternatives such as animal cemetery, Friedwald or cremation. You can also take the ashes home with you.

Are there any requirements to be met for burials?

Of course, some measures must be taken. The grave must have a depth of at least 50 to 100 cm depending on the size of the animal. Furthermore, enough soil must be filled in so that it cannot be dug up again by other animals. A distance of at least one to two meters must also be maintained between the property boundary and public paths and squares. In addition, the animal may only be buried in quickly decomposing materials such as bed sheets, towels, cardboard boxes.

Category:

Animals in the garden