WA State Human-Pet Burial Bill Dies in Committee

Washington State SB 5063 died a quiet death last week.  That’s when the Senate Rules Committee relegated the bill to the Committee’s “X-file” – effectively euthanizing the legislation introduced by Senator Ken Jacobsen. Had SB 5063 passed into law, cemeteries would have been permitted to allow humans to be buried with their pets’ cremated remains.

Sen. Jacobsen (who wants to be buried with his deceased cat Sam when the time comes), pointed out that the practice of burying humans with their pets is an ancient tradition dating to the Egyptian pharaohs. In Jacobsen’s view, the state has no business getting between him and Sam. “I’m tired of the nanny state worrying about me and my cat,” he said. “I assume there’s a lot of people out there with pets who understand the connection.”

Concessions and Restrictions Couldn’t Save Bill
SB 5063 would have allowed (but not required) cemeteries, upon written request, to bury human owners with their cremated pets. The pet’s remains could be placed in the burial plot before, after, or at the time of the owner’s passing.

Several concessions and restrictions were written into the bill. For example, an earlier version didn’t require that the pet be cremated and would have forced cemeteries to allow animals to be interred with their owners. In its final form, the bill limited allowable pets to cats and dogs and required that pet and owner be buried in the same plot.

Many cemetery owners opposed the legislation on the grounds that burying humans and animals together would violate the customs and traditions of some cultures and religions. According to Paul Elvig, former president of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association, “The ultimate insult to a Muslim would be to bury a dog or a cat near or around a [human] burial grounds,” he said. Other cemetery owners worried about potential lost revenues if they agreed to bury humans and pets together.

Support Wasn’t Enough
As Jacobsen observed when he introduced the bill in January, nobody in the Legislature took the bill seriously. The idea did receive the support of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, however, and Jacobsen received several emails from pet owners and families of deceased pet owners who wrote about their desire to be buried with their pets. In the end, the bill lacked the support to get to a vote.

With the demise of SB 5063, Florida remains the only state with an existing law allowing people to be interred with their deceased pets.