Do want to be buried with your pet?

The Senate Judiciary A Committee Tuesday killed a bill that would have allowed pets to be buried with their owners. The measure’s sponsor, Sen. Conrad Appel, R-Metairie, said current law is silent on whether cemeteries are permitted to bury pet remains with human remains.
“I have a very close friend who is a veterinarian,” Appel said. “He contacted me maybe six months ago and asked if I would be willing to (introduce) the bill.”
Senate Bill 166 does not require cemeteries to accept pet remains, which accommodates religious and cultural concerns, and those who simply do not want to be buried near animals or other pets.
“Everything’s very voluntary,” Appel said. “The whole concept was to give the people of Louisiana a clear understanding of what their options are.”
Melancon Funeral Home and Evangeline Memorial Gardens President Gerald Melancon of Carencro, who spoke for the Louisiana Cemeteries Association, opposed the bill, saying it needed more work. The committee buried the bill with Chairman Daniel Martiny, R-Metairie, and Sen. Rick Ward, R-Port Allen, among those voting against it.
The bill would have required any cemetery wishing to bury pet remains to repurpose a garden or section of the cemetery that does not already hold humans. If a cemetery didn’t have the room for that section, it would have to expand to allow pet remains.