A regional South Australian council has made it clear its cemeteries are for humans only after receiving requests for pets to be buried with their owners.

Loxton Waikerie Council in the state’s Riverland said it had received enough requests from people wanting to bury their animal companions in family plots it had to make it clear it was a human-only eternal resting place.

The reasoning behind the council’s decision was that there could be confusion in the future “determining what bones are actually human and what are animal if the bones are ever dug up”.

Sue Laidler and her various dogs have been inseparable for about 50 years, but when it is time to say goodbye, she wants to keep her furry friends close by.

The Riverland resident said her kelpies Sally and Casey were like family, and when they died, she wanted them to be cremated so her own ashes could be spread with them eventually.

“With my last few dogs, I’ve had them cremated and they sit in their boxes with their photos along a cupboard,” she said.

“The ache inside of you when you have a thought of being separated from something you love so much, you don’t want to leave them behind and the thought in my head is that they will be with me.” 

But Ms Laidler isn’t the only one who wants to rest peacefully with her pet after she dies. 

The regional council said it had received several requests from people wanting to buried with their pets, prompting the new policy.

Loxton Waikerie Council staff member Hayley Hucks said other council’s policies were researched in making the decision to not allow pets to be buried alongside their owners.

“We wanted to avoid confusion later down the track, so our council just decided that it’s a human cemetery.”

‘Bizarre’, ‘heartless’ decision

University of Adelaide emeritus professor of pathology, Roger Byard, said it was a bizarre decision.

“Sorting out animal bones from humans is not a major issue,” he said.

“An adult human, the size of them compared to a dog or a cat, there’s quite a marked difference.

“I feel if someone’s had a 25-year-old cat for that length of time, and they want to be buried with them, then I think it’s a bit heartless to say no.”

Backyard burials

A rising number of pets in Australia means owners are left wondering how to find an appropriate resting place for them. 

Many Australians have memories of burying beloved pets in the backyard, complete with a ceremony to say goodbye. 

But Queensland University School of Veterinary Science professor Rachel Allavena warned against it for euthanised pets. 

“The problem with the anaesthetic drugs is they are very toxic, and really persistent in the animal’s remains,” she said.

“Wildlife or other pets can be accidentally exposed to the animal’s body after they’ve been buried in the backyard.

“If they dig it up and have a tiny nibble on it, that pet can then become poisoned by those anaesthetic agents.”

Animal Welfare League communications manager Anthony Cochrane said land ownership changed the way people disposed of pets.

“There’s a lower home ownership rate among [younger] people,” he said.

He said the change had also been generational.

“I know my parents would [bury their pets] when we were kids, but a lot of people are moving towards getting their pets cremated,” he said.

“Pets are now becoming much more a part of the family than even 10 years ago, a lot of Millennials and younger people tend to view their pets as their kids.”

Donating pets to science

Dr Allavena said owners who wanted to commemorate their pets in a different way could explore donating their pets to science.

“We use the pets to teach a lot of skills to developing veterinarians and veterinary nurses, they learn anatomy, surgery and pathology,” she said.

“Your pet after they pass away can be really invaluable in helping progress the fight against various diseases.”

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