Is It Legal to Bury a Pet in Your Yard?

Will the SWAT team bust up my parakeet’s funeral?

A group of cats gather in Arrow Rock, Missouri. (Scott Granneman / Wikimedia Commons)

An online friend recently lost her beloved cat (RIP, Roger) and needs to find him a final resting place. She's leaning toward cremation, but we wondered: Is it legal to bury a pet in your yard?

—Portsmouth Pal

It is surprisingly difficult to find a straight answer to this question in city publications. Portland city code clearly states that it's illegal to bury a horse, cow or other large animal within city limits, but it doesn't say anything about smaller creatures. So it's OK, right?

Well, maybe. City code also says you can't spit "on the floor or walls" of any public place, but it doesn't say anything about the ceiling. Theoretically, that should mean you won't get in trouble for hocking a loogie into the rafters the next time you have to appear before a judge, but you first.

As a practical matter, it's unlikely the SWAT team is going to bust up your parakeet's funeral no matter what the law says. Calling city information just gets you a reference to Multnomah County burial guidelines, and the county says it's fine as long as you wrap the deceased in heavy plastic, put them in a wooden or metal box, and bury them at least 3 feet deep so as not to attract scavengers.

That said, if your friend can afford cremation (anywhere from $20 to $600, depending on the size of the animal and the fanciness of the ceremony), I recommend it.

Why? When was the last time you dug a hole? Gangster movies make it look like two dudes with shovels can bury a grown man in about 20 minutes, but in real life things are very different.

It turns out that what you and I think of as "the ground" is actually made up mostly of rocks and tree roots, with a little dirt packed in for color. Unless you've got a backhoe, digging a 3-foot-deep hole big enough for that wooden or metal box will take you all day. You've suffered enough—go with the Viking funeral.

QUESTIONS? Send them to dr.know@wweek.com.

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