Choosing The Right Funeral Home

Egyptian Funerals: Why Burying Pets With The Deceased May Be A Good Idea

15 September 2016

Derek Murphy

The ancient pharaohs often had their pets and their servants buried with them. It did not matter if the pets and servants were still alive, since burying them in the tombs with their masters meant they would soon be dead anyway and then they could continue on to the afterlife to serve. While you absolutely cannot bury pets and household members alive anymore, you can bury deceased pets with the deceased. Here is how that is accomplished and why you may want to do it for a loved one.

The Pet and Master/Mistress Died Together

In some very unusual circumstances, a favored pet may die alongside its master or mistress. When that happens, you can embalm the pet and your loved one and bury them together in the same casket. It could be the result of old age for both the pet and the deceased family member or it could be a disaster of some sort. Either way, a funeral home is often willing to fulfill this last request when placed at the time of embalming.

The Pet Is Not Long for This World and Its Master/Mistress Just Passed

Pets who have lived a very long life and may be suffering to age-related illnesses anyway may be put to sleep when their masters/mistresses have already passed away. In the event that this situation applies to your family member and his/her pet, you can have a vet put the animal down, then take the animal to the funeral home and request that the pet be embalmed and buried with your family member. Since embalming the pet takes no time at all and it is a fairly easy request, most funeral homes are willing to oblige.

Why Burying the Pet with the Deceased Is a Good Idea

If you cannot afford the expense of keeping an elderly pet alive, and you know that it will be put to sleep in a shelter, you may be inclined to have it buried with your family member anyway. It also helps to provide a sense of closure on the loss of your loved one when you bury his/her favorite pet with him/her too. You no longer have to provide care for your family member or the pet, and it feels like the end of a chapter. It may even help you emotionally to think of how happy your family member would be to have that pet accompany him/her in the coffin, which helps alleviate some of your sorrow too.

For more information about your options, contact a company like Elmwood Meunier Funeral Home.

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