Milan has become the first Italian city to allow **shared burials** between humans and animals in its cemeteries. This historic decision by the City Council of the northern capital allows the **ashes of pets** to rest forever inside the graves of their owners.
**Dogs and cats**, as well as **rodents, birds, fish, turtles, rabbits, hamsters, ferrets** and other animals kept for companionship or pleasure, without productive, work-related, or food purposes, can be buried in the cemeteries of Milan alongside their owners, as indicated by the City Council on its website.
“It is an act of civilization that many have been waiting for,” highlighted the Councilor for Civic Services, Gaia Romani. The initiative responds to the desire of those who consider animals an integral part of their families. Although it will not be possible for the pet’s name to appear on the owner’s grave, it will be allowed to have a photo of both to remember them together.
Procedures and requirements for pets’ ashes to rest with their owners
The Milan City Council is a pioneer in applying a **regional law from 2022** that establishes the necessary procedures and requirements to request **joint burial**. “Any epitaph referring to the pet and the placement of its images on the headstone or in the family tomb are prohibited; instead, a photograph of the deceased with their pet is allowed,” explains the City Council.
The burial can be carried out in cells (two cinerary urns in total, one of them for the animal), in columbariums (a maximum of three boxes of remains/ashes), or in family tombs (the burial of the animal **must occupy the space of an urn** for ashes).
The regional law stipulates that the animal must be buried together with its owner or after the owner’s burial in the same burial plot or family tomb. The scattering of the animal’s ashes in cemeteries or their transfer to the common necropolis or mortuary is not allowed.
Cultural impact and social changes
In addition to being a legislative novelty, the initiative of the Milan City Council reflects a **cultural change** in Italian society, highlighting that pets are an integral part of people’s emotional and affective lives.
“Nowadays, many people experience with their pets a relationship comparable to that with a close relative, and knowing that they can rest by their side, **ensuring them a dignified burial**, is a relief for those who love animals and share a part of their existence with them,” Romani summarized.
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