Talk about eternal love for Fido.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill on Monday allowing New Yorkers to buried with their beloved pets at certain cemeteries.
The bill will allow humans to be buried with their cremated nonhuman friends at not-for-profit cemeteries in the state. The cemetery needs to give written consent.
“For many New Yorkers, their pets are members of the family,” Cuomo said in a statement. “This legislation will roll back this unnecessary regulation and give cemeteries the option to honor the last wishes of pet lovers across New York.”
The law does not apply to any cemetery owned or operated by a religious association, according to Cuomo’s office.
The cemeteries that do agree will have to put all pet internment payments toward permanent maintenance. The pet’s remains must be placed in “a grave, crypt, or niche,” according to the bill.
“The pet/caregiver relationship is a very special one and I am happy that this relationship will finally be honored,” said state Assemblyman James F. Brennan, a sponsor of the bill.
In 2014, the state approved pet cemeteries to accept human cremated remains, according to reports. The regulation stipulated that the pet cemeteries couldn’t charge a separate fee or advertise human burial services.
