My pet died: how to proceed?

Losing a dog, a kitten, or even a kid is very sad, and also leaves us with several doubts about what to do next. To learn how to deal with this situation, read this article.

Posted on 09/12/2020

Pets are increasingly emotionally important to us humans. It is not uncommon to find someone who considers a pet as part of the family. They are companions, they make us happy, and soon a strong bond is created between the owner and his animal. So when they die, it is a great sadness for everyone around them.

As we are very fond of our animals, it is difficult to know what to do with the body after the death of any of them. There are those who choose to bury them in the yard, there are those who dispose them in empty lots, far from home, and there are those who make funerals and everything, in cemeteries for animals.

But are all of these methods valid? The answer is no.

 

Are there animal cemeteries?

 

As people are increasingly attached to their pets, in some cities there are cemeteries for animals. These locations must have specific city hall authorizations and must follow strict protocols for the health and safety of all.

However, this procedure can be expensive. The cremation of a pet costs, on average, R$ 400.00, which is generally more affordable than the purchase of a deposit and the fees for burying an animal. In some cases, it is also possible to hire a wake.

For some people, having a funeral can help when they say goodbye, making it easier to accept the pet's death. There are specialized services that perform these ceremonies, or you can organize them yourself.

 

Can I bury my pet in my yard?

 

If you have space on your land and want to bury the animal in the yard, this is not prohibited, and it can be a cheaper and equally respectful option. However, if you don't have the knowledge to do it right, it can pose risks to you, your family and even your entire neighborhood.

Corpses are a very dangerous source of contamination for the soil; therefore, they must be properly sealed, with resistant plastic bags that can be hermetically closed, and buried in very deep pits. Otherwise, there is a risk of disease proliferation.

So, even if it is not prohibited by law, it is best that you do not make this choice. Always remember that the improper disposal of animals is a danger to public health!

 

So I'm going to throw it in the river ...

If burying animals in your land is allowed, although strongly discouraged, discarding them in rivers, lakes or common soil is an environmental crime and can result in imprisonment of up to four years or a fine, which varies between R $ 500 and R $ 13 thousand. 

This attitude can cause inconvenience to the population due to the bad smell given off by the corpses and, mainly, due to the risk of spreading pests and diseases. The case of contamination of rivers is even more serious, because it endangers the lives of other animals that can be affected by diseases, such as those that drink from the water, or the fish that live in it.

 

Can the city collect my pet for free?

 

Usually, city halls charge a fee to collect dead animals. The most common is that this rate is calculated based on weight. In this case, the body will be disposed of as medical waste, that is, waste that may contain contaminating or infectious material.

However, this is the best way to deal with the animal's body, when financial, ethical and environmental issues are put on the scale. In addition, in this situation, animals can be analyzed according to the risk they pose to human health. An example of this is the animals that died due to zoonoses, or that are hosts of them: rabies and toxoplasmosis, for example.

In the Paraopeba River region, researchers from the Brumadinho UFMG Project are also conducting necropsies on animals to see what caused their deaths, and whether there is any relationship between animal mortality and contamination of the environment. The teams of subproject 06, responsible for collecting samples for histopathological and toxicological analyzes, are going to meet the animals found dead up to 1 km from the river, and one of the ways to reach the researchers is by the city hall.

This research is very important to determine if the water of the Paraopeba River and the soil of the region were contaminated after the collapse of Dam I of the Córrego do Feijão Mine, in Brumadinho, and if this is impacting the animals of the region: being them domestic, production or fauna.

 

Therefore, be sure to alert the team of subproject 06 about the death of your animal or any other animal found by you. Learn how to contact!