By Dr. Simon J. Walter, Cultural Representative of the German Burial Culture Foundation

For several decades now, a shift has been observable in the relationship many people in Germany have with their pets. The connection between them and their owners is increasingly defined by emotional connection and personal attachment. This is especially true for animals that actively participate in daily life and often attain the status of family members (e.g., dogs and cats). Owners tend to treat these animals as individuals and, in some cases, perceive them as having distinct personalities. This development naturally affects how people cope with the death of a pet.

In Germany, there is no legal obligation to bury pets after death. There is, however, a regulatory obligation for proper disposal. As a result, deceased pets may in some cases be disposed of with household waste or handed over to animal rendering facilities. For many pet owners, both options are inconceivable practices that are incompatible with a dignified farewell – thus options for a respectful pet burial have become more relevant in recent years.

53% have buried at least one Pet

In certain circumstances, a pet may become a person’s closest social companion – for example, when family and friends live far away. The animal is not only a companion in everyday life but also structures its owner’s daily routine through its needs. In doing so, it can provide meaningful support, particularly for older individuals and those living alone. Moreover, caring for a pet and the feedback received from it often evoke positive and beneficial emotional responses in people.

Such a fulfilling relationship extends beyond death. A representative survey commissioned by the German Federal Association of Funeral Directors in September 2024 found that 53% of respondents had buried at least one pet and 46% would consider pet cremation as viable option. These numbers reflect the changing value attributed to pets in the eyes of their owners and the conscious decisions made for a pet burial as part of the practical and emotional responsibility towards pets.

Steady Increase of Pet Cemeteries

While 35% of respondents in the survey named their own garden as preferred place for burying a pet, 18% opted for a pet cemetery. Since the 1990s, there has been a steady increase of the number of dedicated pet cemeteries in Germany, counting more than 150 nowadays. In general, the burial of a pet is minimally regulated. Burial on personal grounds as well as keeping the urn as private property are both allowed, in stark contrast to the heavy and detailed regulations around human burials in Germany.

An additional and relatively recent phenomenon further illustrates the trend towards pet burials. So-called human-animal burials are being legalized in some parts of Germany, with dedicated spaces on cemeteries. In the aforementioned survey, around 50% of respondents answered in support of this practice, with acceptance rising the younger the respondents were. 19% said that they too wished to be buried alongside their pets one day.

Further Guidance needed

Today, pet owners in Germany can choose from a wide and continuously expanding range of products and services related to pet burial. Funeral directors are natural points of contact for those affected and, in some cases, are already active in the field of pet funerary services. Nevertheless, professional bodies in the funeral sector mostly caution for the domains of animal and human burial to remain organizationally separate, even though competencies certainly overlap.

Qualified professionals in the field of pet burial are particularly important because many individuals are initially surprised and sometimes unsettled by the intensity of their grief following the loss of a pet. Not infrequently, they also feel misunderstood or stigmatized in their social environment. Such tendencies may be further reinforced when individuals compare their grief over an animal with bereavement experiences involving friends or family members, sometimes leading to feelings of guilt. Out of respect for those affected, relativizing comments regarding the death of a pet are, of course, inappropriate.

The broader shift in attitudes in this regard is progressing surprisingly fast. Yet, pet burials in Germany do require further and appropriate guidance – for example, through the establishment of clear regulations for operating pet cemeteries and for the conduct of human-animal burials. Funeral professionals can contribute constructively to these discussions through their experience and expertise. Above all, however, they serve as competent and reliable contacts for individuals facing the death of a pet, who may feel overwhelmed by their grief and uncertain about the organizational aspects of pet burial.

>> We invite you to read more about pet funerals in THANOS magazine 2/2026