Why Backyard Pet Burial May Harm the Environment

For many pet owners, the idea of burying a beloved companion in the backyard feels like a natural way to say goodbye. But what most don’t realize is that pet burial can pose serious risks to the environment.

When a pet is buried after euthanasia, residual chemicals—especially pentobarbital, a barbiturate used in nearly all euthanasia procedures—can remain in the body. Over time, these chemicals can leach into soil and groundwater, potentially contaminating local water supplies or harming wildlife that may come into contact with the remains.

In fact, several cases have been reported where scavengers like dogs, foxes, and birds have died after digging up and ingesting buried pets who were euthanized. One such case prompted the FDA to issue safety warnings about the risks of secondary poisoning (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2018).

Additionally, many urban and suburban areas have soil and water systems that are not equipped to safely handle decomposing organic material, especially when wrapped in plastic, placed in non-biodegradable containers, or buried at shallow depths. These situations can increase the chance of environmental contamination and even legal trouble, as burial is not permitted in many municipalities.

Choosing environmentally responsible aftercare, such as aquamation (alkaline hydrolysis), provides peace of mind—not just for your family, but for the planet, too.

Sources

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2018). Safe disposal of pets euthanized with pentobarbital. https://www.fda.gov

• McClain, J. (2020). The environmental consequences of pet burial. Journal of Environmental Health, 82(7), 38-43.

• Patterson, H. (2019). Hazards of backyard pet burials. Green Pet Digest, 6(2), 21–24.