For many New York State dog owners who want to rest in peace with their pets' remains, a recent law passed by Governor Andrew Cuomo has made that wish a reality.
The new law allows cemeteries to inter pets beside their owners. Only cremated pet remains are allowed burial in plots. Exemptions exist for religious cemeteries, and it is not mandatory for cemeteries to accept animals. Before the law's passage, people could only be buried next to their four-footed companions in pet cemeteries.
This law came into being because of a two-year-long dispute between New York State and Hartsdale Pet Cemetery in Westchester. Thomas Ryan, a retired NHYPD officer, wanted to be buried with his three Maltese dogs. The state refused to allow this to happen, and Ryan's niece, Taylor York, took up the mantle to fight for her uncle's dying wish.
“People do get a sense of comfort from knowing they can lie for eternity with their beloved pet, that they can be loved and protected in the afterlife just as faithfully as when they were alive,” York said to the New York Daily News.
A few traditional cemeteries, like All Faiths Cemetery in Queens, are now planning to allow pet burials as soon as they receive approval from New York State.
Dan Austin, president of All Faiths Cemetery, says the cost of burying a pet is $450. Austin told the New York Times that "If someone wants to be buried with their dog or cat or their pet parakeet or hamster or whatever it might be [...] I think it's a great thing."
David Fleming, the director of government affairs for the New York State Association of Cemeteries applauds the new law because he feels it reflects a growing pool of customers who want to spend eternity accompanied by their pets. "Times have changed; people have a much different view of their pets in the family," Fleming said.
The law allows domestic animals to be buried with their owners, but the definition of domestic animals has plenty of wiggle room. It can include other, less traditional pets like tarantulas, turtles, invertebrates, and reptiles.
Some individuals feel that the law merely ratifies what many people were doing already: having their pet's ashes slipped into their coffins on the sly. In the passage of the bill, Governor Cuomo declared that "Four-legged friends are family for many New Yorkers [...] Who are we to stand in the way if someone's final wish includes spending eternity with them?"
Under this law, pet cemeteries are not allowed to charge a fee for human burial and cannot advertise any human burial options.
Most people in New York are enthusiastic about this new law. Many pet owners view their pets as children. Shakeema Hutchinson of New York City, owner of a Yorkshire terrier-Chihuahua mix dog, feels that it's "like having a kid buried next to you."
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