Community Corner
Want To Be Buried With Your Pet? Louisiana Might Dig That
A Louisiana House committee gave its nod Monday to a proposal that would allow pet owners to have the cremated remains of their companion.
April 25, 2023
15:44
News Story
Find out what's happening in Across Louisianafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Want to be buried with your pet? Louisiana might dig that
By: Greg LaRose - April 25, 2023 3:44 pm
Find out what's happening in Across Louisianafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Canva image
A Louisiana House committee gave its nod Monday to a proposal that would allow pet owners to have the cremated remains of their companions buried with them. While the sponsor of the proposal says the practice might already be taking place, state law must be updated to protect cemetery owners from legal repercussions.
Rep. Wayne McMahen, R-Minden, has practiced as a veterinarian for more than 40 years. He told the Illuminator clients have asked to have pets that have passed away cremated for the purpose of interring their remains, either in an urn kept at home or to be buried with them.
House Bill 248 from McMahen could cause a problem for cemeteries because state law only allows property to be designated for human-only or pet-only burials. The situation gets especially complex for mausoleums and shared crypts, where property rights come into play and not everyone buried together might go along with mingling pet and human remains.
“We consider this sacred ground,” said Boyd Mothe, whose family owns funeral homes in southeast Louisiana.
The bill calls for cremated pets to be placed in sealed containers, but even that might be troublesome for graveyards that want to allow all remains to biodegrade.
McMahen agreed to work with cemetery operators to help create a third category of burial ground that would allow owners and pets to be buried together. His bill also has a provision that would prevent owners from euthanizing their pets for the sole purpose of being buried with them.
Funeral homes and cemeteries could still reject people wanting to be buried with their pets, but McMahen’s bill would clear the way for those who want to offer the option.
The proposal advances to the full House next.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.
The Louisiana Illuminator is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization driven by its mission to cast light on how decisions are made in Baton Rouge and how they affect the lives of everyday Louisianians, particularly those who are poor or otherwise marginalized.
