Home Burial Tips
Considerations for creating a final resting place for your pet on your property.Create a meaningful place
Creating a meaningful place to visit and reflect on your pet’s life can be very comforting. To make an area special, you may wish to add a personalized marker or other memorial feature. Visit our Memorial Products page or call us and we can help you find what is right for you.
Helpful tips
Check local ordinances
Check your county ordinances for restrictions.
Call your Utility office
Call your utilities office to come mark your yard. There may be gas or power lines buried underground. Also look out for water and cable lines.
Urns, boxes and caskets
If you have an urn or casket in mind for your pet’s burial, let us know. We have many options in both biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials.
Wrap your pet
Wrap your pet in a blanket or other type of covering if you are not planning to use an additional enclosure for your pet. You should avoid plastic, as it can slow down the natural process of absorption back into the earth.
Depth
An adequate depth for burial is three to five feet. At least two feet of soil should be placed on top of the pet to prevent other animals from investigating the area. Additionally, after euthanasia medications are administered, a pet’s body is deadly to other pets.
Use Lime
Sprinkle 1 cup of lime powder (calcium hydroxide) at the bottom of the hole and 1 cup on top. Lime can be purchased at most hardware or livestock feed stores. This step aids in the process of absorption back into the earth, and it helps to prevent other animals from detecting the burial site.
Burying your pet after cremation
If you are burying your pet’s cremated remains without an urn, mix the cremains with organic soil to create a nutrient-rich mixture that will benefit the earth and help plants around the burial site flourish. (Burying cremains with no mixture can be too concentrated in carbon to allow for proper plant growth.)
delayed burial
If you need to delay the burial, you may want to place your pet’s body in an airtight container and place your pet in a refrigerator or freezer.
Use a headstone
Inset a discernable marker or personalized headstone to distinguish the burial place. Creating a meaningful place to visit and reflect on your pet’s life can be very comforting. To make an area special, contact us for personalized headstone and other memorial options.