When a farm animal companion passes on

Info from No More Homeless Pets Forum
nmhpforum@bestfriends.org

Question from Chris:
My wife and I adopted three pigs (all spayed) a couple of years ago,
and we hope to add a couple of llamas soon. These of course are all
pets, same as our cats and dogs. I've always wondered what we'll do
from a practical standpoint when they die. We're considering burial
or are there crematory facilities for larger animals? I hate the idea
of sending a large animal to a rendering facility. What other options
are there? Also, do you have a special resting place at your
sanctuaries?

Response from Kim Sturla:
Your options will depend upon where you live. At Animal Place we bury
the animals. The equipment you need is a tractor with a back hoe. If
you do not have one, you can rent one for a day at most equipment
rental companies. There are crematory facilities that will accept
large animals. You just need to call those near you to inquire. We do
not accept other people's animals at Animal Place for burial.

Response from Susan Wagner:
This is one of the hardest issues with which to deal, as we consider
all of our horses as part of our family. When we lose one, even if
it is due to old age, it is never easy.

In order to bury any large animal, you have to either live in or have
an area picked out where burial is permitted. There are guidelines
which then must be followed. For instance, in some areas, it is
required that the carcass be covered by at least two feet of dirt and
that the site of burial should be at least 100 yards from all wells
and streams to prevent water contamination. However, even if you are
allowed to bury an animal in your area, it would be impossible to do
that at certain times of the year in those parts of the country where
the ground freezes. When that happens, one has no other options
other than cremation or rendering. There are crematoriums throughout
the United States, and while it is an expensive process, particularly
if you have to pay a hauler to transport the animal to the facility,
it is well worth it. However, not all crematories can accommodate a
carcass as large as a horse. Rendering is not something any of us
likes to do, but it is a useful option if you cannot bury or cremate
the animal. If you search the Internet, you will be able to find
crematories and animal cemeteries in your area. To find out if you
may legally bury an animal in your area and what specific guidelines
must be followed, contact the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
For information about burials and cremation, contact, the
International Association of Pet Cemeteries. To find out more about
rendering, contact the National Renderer's Association. Valley
Protein is one of the larger rendering plants in the northeast, for
example. You might even contact them if you live in that part of the
country.

I would like to take this opportunity to make an important point
about horse slaughter and how it relates to this subject:
Horse slaughter is not and never will be a form of humane
euthanasia. A lethal injection administered by a licensed
veterinarian is. There are some people who like to use the erroneous
argument that slaughter is the only way that horses should be put to
death because it is too difficult to remove or bury a large animal
carcass. That simply is not true. Large animals die all the time on
farms. For a fee, rendering plants will pick up equine, bovine and
other large animal carcasses. Cremation and burial (where permitted)
are also good options. For burial of a large animal, such as a
horse, you will need a piece of equipment known as a backhoe, in
order to dig a hole which is deep enough and large enough. If you do
not own one, a backhoe can be easily rented, especially if you are in
a rural area...or sometimes a local farmer might have one and do
it for you. With cremation, one needs to find a way to transport the
body to the facility.

Posted on SHARE Yahoo group Jan. 12, 2005