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View Full Version : Pet Owners Seeking Better Care for State's Animal Cemeteries


scarlett
03-20-2007, 03:22 PM
I read this story and had goose bumps up and down my body. What a sad sad situation. I will continue to bury my animals in the back yard until the bill is passed. What do you think?




From the Baltimore Examiner March 20, 2007

The languishing condition of the Rosa Bonheur Memorial Park pet cemetary in Howard County, Maryland spurred the General Assembly to get involved in regulating pet cemeteries.

This is a protection issue. We all love our animals. You expect to get what you pay for but we know that that's just not happening, lead s;onsor of the bill Senator Norman Stone of Baltimore County said in a recent hearing before the Senate Financial Committee.

Because pet cemeteries are not regulated, some cemetary owners disregard contracts with pet owners who pay thousands of dollars to have a final resting place for their beloved animals.

This is the second time around for the bill which stalled in the House of Delegates last year.

Even though some humands are buried in pet cemetaries - they do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Maryland Cemetary Oversignt Committee.

Maryland Gisriel, a representative of the owner of the Rosa Bonheur Memorial Park, said the bill would diminish the value of pet cemetary land considerably.

I have pets and would like them taken care of but under Maryland law, pets are not afforded the same status as people.

But advocates are determined that this year's proposal will fare better. We sent our letters during the compaign to see how the new legislators would vorte for it and most of them seemed like they would. said Penny Blankenship a volunteer at Rosa Bonheur Memorial Park.

Blankenship and her husband saw the story of Bonheur pet cemetary on TV and decided to go out and see if the situation was as bleak as the news said.

"it was worse. Garbage littered the sunekn graves that were caked in mud and hidden by hip-high grass". The Blankenships organized a volunteer group to clean up the cemetary.

Even though the couple do not have pets buried there they felt it was the right thing to do. The couple owns three Siberian huskies and refuses to bury the animals anywhere unless the bill is passed.


AT A GLANCE

The Bill requires pet cementary owners to:

1. Maintain the property
2. Have a mapping system for each grave
3. Keep refigerators for dead animals until they are buried
4. Not sell the property until proper arrangements are made for the buried pets

BelovedJuggernaut
03-20-2007, 06:15 PM
Interesting bill....

We have a few Pet Cemeterys here, but none close by. When my girl died, I had her cremated and am keeping the ashes until I know where I want to scatter her.

scarlett
03-28-2007, 05:01 PM
When I had my two Shelties put down my vet posed a beautiful option for my beloved dogs. I could choose to have them cremated and the ashes taken to his cabin in the mountains of Maryland and scattered around the open fields. I felt that was the most wonderful suggestion. Shelties are used to herding in wide open fields and that is where I picture my two loved ones. They are both together and chasing butterflies together. No pet cemetary for this doggie owner!