German cemetery wants common graves for dogs and owners

A cemetery in Hamburg, Germany would like to make the last rest more convivial for pet owners. In future, the dogs of deceased owners should also be permitted as grave goods.

But the cemetery does not only want to prepare for dogs.

Last rest together

With 389 hectares, the Ohlsdorf cemetery is the largest park cemetery in the world. The wish to be allowed to be buried together with the domestic animals was mentioned in the citizen participation project Ohlsdorf 2050 for the organization of the cemetery, reports the Northern courier.

“We are dealing above all with older gentlemen,” says Lutz Rehkopf, the spokesman for the Hamburg cemeteries. “If their only partners in old age are the animals, then they also want to go the last way together.”

A 120 square metre cemetery for humans and animals has already been found.

Friedhof #Ohlsdorf plant gemeinsame Gräber für Tiere und Besitzer. #Hamburg https://t.co/7wmdc2UNTq pic.twitter.com/NqDPWcGcG8

— TAG24 NEWS Hamburg (@TAG24HH) November 20, 2018

So far only separate cemeteries

In order to fulfill this wish for pet owners, the Hamburg Funeral Act must now be amended. Until now, this has only allowed the animal companions to be buried on specially built animal cemeteries. The environmental authority supports the Ohlsdorf proposal.

The last rest together, however, would only be possible with urn burials. “We see animals as grave goods, not as animal carcasses,” says Rehkopf. In addition to dogs, one would also like to bury cats, canaries, and rabbits with their human friends. Horses are initially not an option, although their cremation would also be possible.