Pet Burials in Victoria
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October 2024 will be the 2 year anniversary of Oscar's death.
I still miss him every single day, he was such a huge part of my life and learning to navigate each day without him has been difficult. It's a heavy grief that every pet owner endures.
Our pets are such a vital part of our life, our family, and yet in death the law states they must be treated differently.
Help to change that.
It is currently illegal in every state of Australia for pets to be buried in government-run cemeteries in graves with their human family.
Burying our pets in the back yard is the most common, easiest and cheapest way to bury our pets. But it's a temporary burial with no guarantees that the remains won't be disturbed in years to come when properties change hands or backyards are re-designed.
Pet cremation is another option that some families choose, but not everyone is comfortable with the idea of cremation and would prefer burial. Pet crematoriums are privately run businesses and remain unregulated in Australia.
And then there are privately run pet cemeteries that at any stage could be sold to developers or simply shut down and the land used for something else like what RSPCA Victoria have been trying to do in the face of public outrage.
It shows how strongly people feel and how so little concern is given to this issue when even the RSPCA think they can just desecrate the graves of people's pets so they can develop the land.
Human and pet joint burials was normal practice hundreds of years ago until the rise of Christianity, which saw it become illegal due to the belief that animals don't have souls and therefore are not afforded a dignified burial.
To this day, religion is the only reason preventing the joint burials of humans and their pets.
But just because this is illegal, doesn't mean that our cemeteries are not full of beloved pets buried with their owners - because they are.
Industry stakeholders regularly turn a blind eye and allow families to bury their pets in the family grave. Funeral Directors often sneak the urn of a pet's ashes into the coffin prior to burial.
This is happening in all states of Australia on a regular basis because it's what society wants and because the funeral industry recognises the very strong human animal bond.
Georgie Purcell MP raised this issue in the Victorian Parliament on September 10 and the Minister for Health has indicated the Victorian State Government may consider this issue in more detail, which is promising
This is an issue that every pet owner will face, and having the ability to safely and legally choose joint human and pet burials within government cemeteries is needed.
The legislation is so outdated and failing to meet the community's needs that it is time for the legislation to be amended.
If you feel the same way, please email the Victorian Minister for Health and let's see if we can create some positive change.
Thanks,
Debra