How Deep Does a Pet Grave Need to Be? Plus 10 tips!


If your pet has passed away and you want to bury your friend, then you need to know how deep the grave needs to be. Here is your answer.

A pet grave needs to be 2-3 feet deep. This will hide the smell of your pet so that predators do not come looking for it. You will want to make sure that your pet is not near any utility lines. You can also give your pet a headstone if you wish, as this will give you a place to go and mourn.

Here are some tips that can help when burying your pet.

1. Have Help

Burying a pet can be very difficult, so it can be nice to have a friend there with you. You may even take turns digging the grave so that you are not exhausted, physically and emotionally, when you are finished. Your friend can even be there for you if your pet needs to be euthanized.

Your friend may even be able to help your kids if you need it. They could help entertain the children while you bury your pet. This can be a very difficult time, and it can be nice to have someone around who is willing to help.

2. Sizing

When burying a pet, you need to make sure that the grave is large enough for them to rest comfortably. If you are burying a bird, you will want the grave to be a lot smaller than if you were burying a dog. You want to make sure that the animal can rest comfortably at the bottom of the grave without being propped up on the side or looking squished.

There should be plenty of room for the animal to be placed. Be sure that the grave is deep enough so that the animal does not begin to smell. 2-3 feet is standard for animals.

3. Prepare the Body

When preparing the body, make sure to remove the collar or anything made of plastic or non-biodegradable so that it does not release pollutants into the ground. You may make sure that the pet’s eyes are closed, so it does not scare children. You may even brush out their fur or clean up their feathers.

You can try to make them as presentable for burial as possible so that they look more alive. This can be calming to small children and comfort to older ones when they see that their pet is out of pain and that they are the same as they were before.

4. Casket

Many people will even find caskets for their wonderful pets so that they do not have to be covered in dirt when buried. It can make the owner believe that their pet is comfortable and that they are not in pain.

5. Placement

When finding the perfect place to bury your pet, make sure that it is in a quiet place so you can go there for reflection. If you are burying them in the backyard, make sure to avoid places where children play or places where the utility lines are.

If you bury them over a utility line, then you may have to dig them up again if something goes wrong with the utility line, and that can be traumatic in and of itself. Unburying a pet is not fun and can be very difficult, so make sure that they are buried somewhere that will not be disturbed.

6. Flowers

When burying your pet, you can even place flowers in the grave with them. This will help to make them look happy and can brighten up the surroundings. After pets are buried, some people plant flowers over the grave so that they can mark the grave and serve as a reminder. Some people will plant roses on the grave so that the thorns will poke any other animals that may come near the grave. They can brighten up the area and help you to heal, knowing that your pet is living on in the flowers that you planted.

7. Funeral

When your pet has passed away it may be helpful to hold a funeral so that the children who owned the pet can mourn as well. This can help them come to terms with the death of their friend. They may even be able to tell everyone something about the pet that they loved. They could tell their pet everything that they want it to know, and that can help them to heal.

8. Burial

When you bury your pet, you will want to make sure that the dirt fills in all the spaces so that there are no air pockets. You may even take turns with your friend again. This can be a healing process as you see your pet for the last time and all you have left are the fun memories you had together.

9. Headstone

When your pet is buried, you might even want to place a headstone over the grave so that once the grass grows on the grave you will still know where your pet was laid to rest. This can make a good spot to think and reflect on all the fun you guys had together.

10. Tips for Momentos

If you want a momento to remember your pet, then you may consider a paw print mold. You can encase your pet’s paw in plaster of paris, and wait for it to harden. Once it has hardened, you can take their paw out of the mold and pour a resin into it to create a perfect impression of the paw.

Before your pet passes away, throughout their life you can go on so many adventures and take pictures while you do them, and once your pet passes, you can place all of the pictures into a scrapbook. You might even be able to have people paint pictures of them, make a mural of your pet, or make a display for their collars.

There are many ways to commemorate your pet, but one of the best ways is to bury them so you can visit them whenever you need to. This can be very healing and can be a good thing to do for the memories of your pets.

Carolina Pieters

I'm Carolina and created this blog, to provide practical advice and emotional comfort for those dealing with pet loss.

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