Switzerland: Bern allows joint burial of people and their companion animals

Bern’s city council has adopted a new cemetery regulation that will allow joint burials of people and their companion animals. To this end, special grave sections “Human with Animal” are to be created. A requirement is that the animals are buried in urns. 

The planned changes met with broad support across party lines. The new regulation was prompted by a motion from the Green Liberal Party that was referred in March 2021. It called for allowing joint burials of people and their companion animals. 

A similar option already exists in Zurich: at Nordheim Cemetery in District 6, such burials have been possible since 2021, with up to three animals allowed to be buried in a single grave.