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Can I Be Buried with My Beloved Pet?

Sep 22, 2024

With 70 percent of United States households owning a pet, it’s no wonder why funeral directors are often asked if someone can be buried with an animal they love so dearly. But pets are more than just animals. They’re part of our families. And just as we want to spend eternity with the people we love, we often want to spend forever with the pets who affected our lives. But can you be buried with your pet? Let’s break down your options.

Can I be buried with my pet?

When it comes to any form of burial, the best way to know for sure what’s allowed is by consulting your state’s laws and contacting the cemetery you’d like to be buried in. For the burial of pets, state laws vary greatly. In most states, it’s not illegal to bury a pet in a human cemetery.

However, most cemeteries do not offer this service, mainly so as not to offend the other families who are burying their loved ones there. In some states, like Pennsylvania, cemeteries may have separate sections for the burials of pets or for the burials of pets with their humans. Some states allow for humans to be buried in pet cemeteries. However, it’s worth noting that most of these situations require the burial of cremated remains, not full-body burials. Most pet cemeteries do not have the space for the full-body burial of humans.

Whole-family cemeteries are working to change that. Whole-family cemeteries acknowledge that pets are a part of the family. Although many of these facilities allow for the full-body burials of both pets and their human companions, the rules and restrictions in each of these cemeteries vary. The advocacy group Green Pet-Burial Society keeps a list of all of the whole-family cemeteries currently in the United States, as well as a list of cemeteries with separate sections where a pet may be buried.

Can my pet’s ashes be placed in my coffin?

If your pet passes before you, one of the easiest ways to be buried together is by placing their cremated remains in your coffin. As with any burial practice, it’s essential to check with the cemetery to ensure that you’re allowed to have a pet’s ashes in your coffin. But, generally, this action is accepted at most cemeteries.

Before you pass, be sure to let your next-of-kin know that you’d like your pet’s cremated remains buried with you. Your next-of-kin should provide the ashes to your funeral director to ensure that the pet’s cremated remains go where they need to go on the day of the funeral. Your funeral director should check with the cemetery to be sure that the ashes are allowed if you have not already cleared your decision with the cemetery yourself.

What happens if I pass before my pet does?

In most cases, if you pass before your pet does, a cemetery will not exhume your body to then bury your pet with you. However, in whole-family cemeteries, you can arrange for your pet to be buried with you at a later time. Green Pet-Burial Society advocates for you to set up a pet trust, which allows you to organize and fund the future care of your pet in the event of your passing or inability to care for the animal. Be sure to make your wishes for your pet’s burial clear to the future carer, and only choose a caretaker you fully trust to tend to your pet.

Sadly, some people choose to euthanize their pets to ensure that they can be buried together, which is a significant reason why the Green Pet-Burial Society promotes the use of a whole-family cemetery. Because a pet can be buried at a later date, their caretaker does not have to be concerned about an inability to be buried together if they pass on before their pet.

One of the easiest ways to be buried with your pet is by placing their ashes in your coffin. However, if your pet does not pass before you do, you may want to consider looking into whole-family cemeteries and make a plan for your pet’s future care and burial. If you have a beloved pet that you’d like to be buried with, talk to your funeral director about your options. They may have additional ideas about where and how you and your companion can spend forever together.

www.bisslerandsons.com

Bissler & Sons Funeral Home and Crematory has served families in Kent, Ohio, and all of Portage County since 1913. The company transitioned ownership in 2018 when Rick Bissler retired and arranged to merge his family’s funeral home with the Billow family’s funeral homes, who carry on the tradition of high quality funeral, burial, memorial and cremation services. Their privately owned and operated crematory ensures that loved ones never leave their professional care. Visit bisslerandsons.com to learn more.

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How Can We Honor Our Family Member Who Died and Keep the Holiday Celebratory?

30 Oct, 2024

There are those people in our lives who we connect with on certain holidays. When we think of Christmas, Hanukkah, or the 4th of July, this person comes to mind. It might be the cookies they baked, the blessing they said, or the fireworks show they were known for. Regardless of what they did, it is difficult to imagine the holiday without this person. Celebrating the holiday, especially for the first time, following their death can be hard. The goal is not to lose the celebratory nature of the holiday in the void created by the death of the person we loved. It is to incorporate the memory into the celebration of the holiday.

What Should Be Included in a Funeral Program?

26 Oct, 2024

There are so many aspects of putting together a funeral that it’s easy to overlook some things. But every element of funeral planning is vital for different reasons. One often-overlooked component is the funeral program.What exactly is a funeral program?And what do you find in one? What is a funeral program? Funeral programs serve the essential purposes of giving attendees information about the service and of being a tangible memento that honors the life of the decedent. These programs may be the size of one sheet of paper, a card, or a larger booklet. Most often, they are provided to funeral attendees either when they enter the room where the service will be held or placed on the seats before the guests arrive. What goes in a funeral program? Funeral programs can be as unique as the service itself, but there is a general order to what goes into these pages. Here’s what you may find in a funeral program: 1. A cover honoring the decedent The cover of a funeral program often consists of the name of the person whose life is being honored, a photo of them, and the years of their birth and death. Making a cover this way makes it clear whose service guests are attending. However, a cover may also consist of other elements that show more of the decedent’s personality. For instance, a funeral program’s cover may also have one of the decedent’s most beloved quotes, poems, prayers, or song lyrics. Just as an obituary doesn’t have to have a somber tone if the decedent was known for their humorous personality, it’s fitting to make the funeral program show off that personality. The cover is a good place to set that tone. 2. The obituary Within the pages of a funeral program, it’s customary to find the decedent’s obituary. Although you may have previously shared the obituary on your funeral home’s website, a website dedicated to obituaries, social media, local newspaper, or other locations, writing it in the funeral program helps to immortalize that spirit of your loved one. 3. Service information Because a funeral program is a memento of the service, it should include the service information. You’ll want to write the date, time, and location of where the funeral is being held. 4. Order of service As the name suggests, the order of service is the order in which the events of the service will be held. Some events may include the introduction, prayers, readings, musical performances, eulogies, additional speeches, and closing remarks. If you’re having a religious service, you may want to talk to a religious leader to ensure that your order of service fits the traditional funeral ceremony performed by that religion. For example, traditional Catholic funerals do not include a eulogy. Whether you’re holding a religious ceremony or not, you should also talk to your funeral director to make certain that you know the proper order of the service before writing the program. Alongside each element of the order of service, you should also write who is leading that portion of the service. 5. Where to find prayers, hymns, and scripture readings If you’re holding a religious service, you should include in the funeral program where to find prayers, hymns, and scripture readings. Doing so allows the guests to read and sing along when the time arrives. Especially if you’re expecting a large service, it may be hard for some guests to hear the officiant. By providing directions to where to find the readings, no guest will have to worry about missing important information. 6. Song or hymn lyrics Similarly to why you would provide where to find readings, you may want to write the lyrics to songs or hymns that you may wish the funeral-goers to sing along to. If anyone is unfamiliar with these songs or hymns, they will be grateful you provided the lyrics. Even if guests don’t sing along, these songs were chosen to be a part of the funeral for a reason. It’s meaningful for guests to be able to study those lyrics, which were important to the decedent or hold great significance. 7. Pallbearers and flower bearers While the names of the eulogists, singers, and other speakers will be included in the order of service, you may also want to share the names of the pallbearers and flower bearers in the funeral program. If you do choose to write them, you should remember to also include anyone who is an honorary pallbearer or flower bearer. 8. Additional service information If there’s a committal service or reception after the funeral, you should also share directions and information about these services. You should write when and where they will be held, as well as any additional pertinent information.