Burials of pets should also be ‘respectful’

A COUNCILLOR who has called for the establishment of a pet cemetery in Cork said that pet owners should be able to bury their deceased pets in a respectful way.

Cllr Audrey Buckley (FF) recently raised a motion at a Council meeting calling on the local authority to look at carrying out a feasibility study for such a cemetery in Co Cork.

‘Pets are loving members of families and their owner should have the option of burying them in a meaningful and respectful way,’ said Cllr Buckley.

She said that many people may consider burying their pets in the backyard but a backyard burial is not always the safest or reliable option.

‘It poses risks for the  community and the environment and for those with smaller gardens or living in apartment they may have to pay up to €350 to have a pet cremated and additional fees for memorial boxes.’

Cllr Buckley also pointed out that for pet owners with none of those options available, they would have to fork out €100 to get their pet put down at a vets and then cremated and put in a land fill.

She said she couldn’t find a pet cemetery currently open in the country but found out that the first pet cemetery was registered in the USA in the 1890s.

‘It’s very unclear legally what one can do when burying pets in your garden also. I also rang a few vets and the majority of them use a crematorium in Co Kerry to dispose of pets and I’m just wondering where does Cork County Council stand on this?’

Her colleague Cllr Ann Marie Ahern seconded the motion and said that in today’s society pets can mean an awful lot to people and that they are integrated into families for a variety of reasons.

A Council spokesperson said the concept of such a burial ground is a ‘novel one’ and said it would be appropriate to refer the matter to the Environment Directorate for a report in the first instance.

‘It would then be a matter for the SPC (strategic policy committee) dealing with rural/community affairs as it would come within the remit of municipal district operations for delivery of a concept should it be feasible to do so.