Pet Cemetery Digs Up Dog for Unpaid Bills

One of the residents at the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery in New York wasn't allowed to rest in peace. A mixed-breed dog named Dodo was recently exhumed when his owner, Man-Hung Lee, refused to pay the annual fee. When Lee ignored the cemetery's bills, they dug up her dog, cremated him, and spread the ashes in the cemetery. Last week, a judge ruled that Hartsdale had every right to do what they did.

Legally, there's no question that the cemetery was on solid ground. The annual fee was $31 and, when Dodo was cremated against their will, Lee owed $145 in back fees. If she was claiming financial hardship, that would be one thing, but this is someone who spent $10,000 on a pacemaker for Dodo. For his funeral, Dodo was sent off in style — in addition to a plot in the oldest cemetery in the country, he had a $500 oak casket and an $800 pink heart-shaped monument. Lee was supposed to be paying for a service that honored the memory of her companion of 13 years, and she ignored the bills. But was digging up Dodo the best response?

Edward Martin, the cemetery's president, said "A pet cemetery is like a co-op apartment." Would he use that analogy for a human cemetery? When was the last time a dead person was evicted from his final resting place?

According to the NY Daily News, Martin also said he was "delighted" by the ruling in his favor. There are certain words that one never hears coming from a funeral director, and I'm pretty sure using the term "delighted" in reference to a situation about a deceased loved one is an industry faux pas, no matter what the family has done.

Burial rites are a very personal issue. Certain religions have strong beliefs on cremation or disturbing a dead body after it's been laid to rest. As pets have become more central to family life, more people are including their pets in their religious practices. Not everyone believes that it matters what happens to an animal's body after death, but for others, having their pet dug up, cremated, and scattered would be very emotionally and, for some, spiritually traumatizing.

Pet cemetery officials who act like landlords instead of funeral directors are being disrespectful of religious beliefs and the human-animal bond. They have a business to run, but greed doesn't need to overshadow sensitivity. Like many other pet-related businesses, pet cemeteries should look to their human-related counterparts for best practices. I don't know how a case like Dodo's would have been handled for a person, but I can't imagine a human cemetery would have risked violating religious principles.

Lee visited Dodo's grave twice a year to bring flowers. Regardless of whether or not Hartsdale is using the best business model for their service, she agreed to pay the annual fee. If people want pet burial rites to be treated with respect, then they have a responsibility to hold up their end of the bargain.

Photo credit: Natalie Maynor