This week, a project was introduced to the City Council of La Plata proposing the opening of a public cemetery for dogs and cats in the city.
It would be the first facility of its kind in the district, resembling those already present in other cities around the world such as New York, Madrid, Paris, or Tokyo.
Public Cemetery for Dogs and Cats: What Does the Project Propose?
The initiative “Public Space for the Last Resting Place of Pets” was presented by the councilwoman of Union for the Homeland, Yanina Sánchez.
Pets are part of the family: seeking to provide them with the possibility of a burial.
According to local media reports, the text establishes that the cemetery “may be concentrated or divided into two or more plots in different areas of the La Plata district as convenient and based on accessibility, demand, and population density“.
The site will allocate 10% of the space for the burial of ownerless animals, collected by the Municipality or found by residents.
Why a Pet Cemetery? The Justifications
Among the reasons, the councilwoman emphasizes the lack of a dignified space for pet owners to bury their pets. She also refers to public hygiene issues.
“It is known that pet owners lack a dignified space for their burial, thus generating the problem of the final disposal of their remains,” states the author of the project, Councilwoman Sánchez, in the justification.
“The creation of a space for this purpose would help alleviate the emotional impact of the loss and, at the same time, prevent the bodies of pets from ending up with an undignified and incompatible fate with public hygiene,” she adds.
In this regard, precedents of such spaces in other cities worldwide and also in our country are mentioned to justify the need for such a space in La Plata.
“Pet cemeteries (public or private) are present in Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, New York, Paris, Tokyo, Baifu (China), among many others. In our country, they exist in San Luis, and there are also projects in Trelew, Rosario, and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires,” she concludes.
A space to bid farewell to pets.
What Happens When a Pet Dies?
The death of a pet is also the loss of a family member. Therefore, to say goodbye to them, there are various cremation ceremonies, as there are no available cemeteries.
Hence, the options available to families in Buenos Aires generally come down to cremation. The service usually involves:
- Staff goes to the home or veterinary clinic where the pet is to retrieve it
- The pet is cleaned, and the incineration process begins
- During this process, the family of the pet can request to witness the cremation
- Once the ashes are ready, they are delivered
