Seinäjoki ends pet burials after dead birds are found

Seinäjoki will stop accepting new burials at its free pet cemetery after dead birds were found there, Yle reports. The city’s environment committee decided that burials may continue only until November 1.

After that, the city will recommend cremation and provide a place where owners can scatter their pets’ ashes.

The main reason for closing the cemetery is that burial instructions have not always been followed. Because owners bury their pets themselves, the city has found it difficult to monitor the practice. City engineer Joonas Kauppinen said some animals were buried too shallowly and predators had dug them up. He said the resulting risks may already have materialised, as dead birds have been found in the cemetery.

The grounds have also become difficult to maintain. A large number of memorial objects, stones, crosses and candles have hindered mowing, while the city has faced complaints that flowers and other items were damaged during maintenance. The service has cost the city about 20,000 euros a year.

Anna-Maria Soini, whose two dogs are buried there, said she understood the city’s concerns but felt sorry for owners whose pets had been buried recently. She has taken her dogs’ memorial signs home. Soini said she chose cremation for her most recently deceased dog and found it a meaningful way to say goodbye.

The Seinäjoki animal welfare association says it does not have the resources to take over the cemetery because its work relies on volunteers. Its chair, Marika Kleemola, said removing the graves sounded brutal and could be difficult for people who cannot or do not want to have their pets cremated, including those living in apartment buildings.

The cemetery has operated for more than 30 years. The city plans to remove memorial items and return the grounds to woodland, with the work due to begin in spring 2028. Kauppinen said the graves would be treated with respect.