An 'act of civilization' by the municipality in Milan: Pets can be buried in their owners' graves

In Milan, one of the country's largest cities, a decision by the local government allows the ashes of pets belonging to people buried in municipal cemeteries to be placed in the same grave site upon the animal's death.

This practice will apply only to pets, including cats, dogs, birds, fish, turtles, and hamsters. It will not apply to animals "used for production purposes" such as farm animals.

Those who wish to be buried with their pets, or their relatives, will need to make a special application for this. After the animal dies, it can be cremated in an appropriate manner, and its ashes can be placed in a separate cremation urn in the owner's or family's grave.

However, the names, dates of birth and death, or photographs of the pets cannot be added to the tombstone. If desired, a photograph showing the grave owner with their pet can be placed on the tombstone.

It will not be permitted to scatter the animals' ashes in the cemetery or place them in communal storage areas.

The municipality announced that it made this decision because "today, many people have established a special relationship with their pets, similar to that of a close family member."

Gaia Romani, the city council member responsible for urban services, said that the burial of pets in city cemeteries is an "act of civilization" that many people have requested.

Romani stated that by taking into account the sensitivities of pet owners, they are fulfilling "their desire to be buried with the animals with whom they shared a part of their lives and to provide their pets with a dignified funeral process."

The legal regulation that allowed the municipality to give the green light to this practice was made possible by a 2022 law in the Lombardy region, where Milan is located. With its decision dated January 2, 2025, the Municipality of Milan determined the procedures necessary for this law to be implemented.

According to a 2023 report by the research company Eurispes, 37.3 percent of households in Italy have at least one pet. 41.8 percent of pet owners prefer dogs, while 37.7 percent prefer cats.

According to a study conducted by Ipsos, 79 percent of pet owners view their animals as full-fledged family members. On the other hand, 63 percent of pet owners reject the view that animals replace children.

Some segments, including Catholic Church leader Pope Francis, occasionally link the increase in the number of pets in the country to the downward trend in births.

Pope Francis has criticized on several occasions that cats or dogs are replacing children, stating that a "culture where owning a dog or cat is preferred over having children" prevails in Italy.