A hiker found a shallow grave with two dead dogs in a forest near Mill on Tuesday. The ashes of the old owner of the animals were scattered on that spot. The new owners thought it would be nice to give the dogs a place there after their death. But just burying pets in the woods is not allowed.
It sounds like a nice tribute: burying your dog in a dear place. But if you prefer to bury your pet yourself, then in the Netherlands you are only allowed to do so on your own land. You must also bury the animal at least 75 centimeters underground and stay half a meter from the property boundary.
Sometimes this is not possible, for example if you live in an apartment or rented house. Bury your dog in the woods? This can result in a fine of hundreds of euros.
“Fortunately, there are more and more options to say goodbye to your pet,” says Karin Hendriks of Memoria in Tilburg. People come here with their deceased pet for a cremation. “We provide a nice farewell. If people want to, they can accompany the animal to the oven.”
“A dog is truly a member of the family, a precious possession.”
They also notice that people like this at the animal cemetery and crematorium Viviana in Prinsenbeek. Cindy Fijnman: “A dog is really a member of the family, a precious possession”. That is why more and more people are opting for a burial or cremation. Fijnman: “They also more often order a paw print or a glass monument. Dog owners would like to have something tangible from their four-legged friend.”
If you really want to dig deep into the pouch, you can keep your dog even closer to you by having the animal mounted at a taxidermist. There is a fixed price tag that starts at 1000 euros and increases considerably with a larger dog. For most dog owners, that’s a step too far.
The simplest choice for many people is to leave their dog with the vet for destruction, for example if the animal has been put to sleep. The animal is disposed of as waste together with other deceased animals and offal. Destruction is cheaper than cremation or burial.
“They think their animal is being cremated, but destruction is really something else.”
But according to Karin Hendriks of Memoria, people mainly choose this option out of ignorance. “They have no idea what destruction means. Their pet is dead and they are caught off guard. They think their animal is being cremated, but destruction is really something else.”
She hopes that people will therefore be sufficiently informed. “A dog is often with you for a large part of your life. A good goodbye can offer you comfort when an animal dies.”
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