There’s a moment many families don’t expect until they’re living it: you’re planning a burial or an urn placement for someone you love, and suddenly the conversation turns to a small box on a shelf—your dog’s ashes, your cat’s ashes, the pet who made a house feel like home. Someone asks, quietly, “Can they be with them?”
If you’re asking whether can pet ashes be buried with humans, you’re not alone. As cremation becomes more common, more families are planning for what to do with ashes in ways that reflect real life—blended families, long-distance siblings, and yes, the pets who were part of the family story. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate is projected to reach 63.4% in 2025, more than double the projected burial rate of 31.6%.
The hard part is that the answer to “can we do this?” is rarely a simple yes or no. In many places, it’s not “the law” that stops you—it’s the cemetery’s rules, the type of cemetery, and how the ashes are being placed. This guide walks you through what typically matters, what varies, and what realistic options families use so you don’t run into last-minute surprises.
Start with the most important truth: cemetery policy usually decides
In most states, there isn’t one universal statute that clearly says “pet cremains may” or “may not” be buried in a human grave. Instead, the decision often comes down to the cemetery’s governing documents: their regulations, deed restrictions, and what they’re legally authorized to inter.
That’s why two families in the same county can get two different answers—because they’re dealing with different cemeteries.
Some cemeteries treat cremated pet remains as prohibited “non-human remains.” Others may allow them only in specific ways—such as placing a sealed pet keepsake inside the casket before burial, permitting a separate sealed container in the same lot, or allowing placement in certain niches or designated areas. The key is that the cemetery is usually trying to keep clear records of what is interred and where, while staying within its authorization and rules.
If you already know you want a permanent cemetery placement for a person, it can help to choose your memorial container options early—because the “how” affects the “yes.” Families often consider a main urn from cremation urns for ashes, and then add a smaller companion tribute using pet keepsake cremation urns or keepsake urns that can fit inside a casket or niche without requiring a second full-size space.
A few states do address this directly, which shows how “local” the answer can be
Even though policy often rules the day, a handful of places have more explicit guidance—usually framed as “allowed under specific conditions,” not a blanket permission.
New York is a clear example of “allowed, but limited”
New York has a framework that permits the interment of “pet cremated remains” alongside human remains in certain cemetery situations, and the state provides consumer-facing guidance on definitions and verification requirements. The New York Department of State explains that cemeteries must verify that remains meet the statutory definition and, for out-of-state cremations, verify the crematory meets the legal definition of a “pet crematorium.”
Importantly, New York also makes clear that cemeteries do not have to offer this service, and if they do, they must amend their rules and regulations accordingly (with limits such as “incidental” to human interment).
California shows another constraint: authorization limits can exist
In California, the “type” of cemetery matters a lot. A position statement from the California Association of Public Cemeteries notes that California Health & Safety Code §9001 restricts Public Cemetery Districts to bury human remains only, which can limit what those cemeteries can accommodate, even when a family’s request feels very reasonable.
What cemeteries are usually worried about (and why it affects your options)
When a cemetery says no, it’s rarely because they don’t understand the emotional side. More often, they’re managing legal authorization (what they’re allowed to inter), uniformity for lot owners, religious requirements in certain sections, recordkeeping, and future disinterment or relocation issues.
This is also where families sometimes get tripped up by mixing pet ashes with human ashes. At home, combining remains into one urn can feel like the most “together” choice. But some cemeteries prefer—or require—separate, clearly identified containers because it keeps records accurate and aligns with their rules. If your plan involves burial, niche placement, or a cemetery cremation garden, it’s often safer to keep remains in separate containers and choose a “together” approach through shared placement (if allowed) or coordinated memorialization.
That’s where small cremation urns and pet urns for ashes become practical—not just symbolic.
Realistic options families use when they want a shared resting place
Here are the approaches that tend to work most often, depending on the cemetery and the family’s comfort.
Placing a small container inside the casket before burial
This is one of the most common “yes, sometimes” solutions. The human burial is the legal interment; the pet ashes are treated as a personal item placed inside the casket. Whether it’s allowed depends on the cemetery and the funeral home, and it’s something you should do transparently—not as a secret—because rules differ and the cemetery may enforce its regulations.
In these cases, families typically choose pet keepsakes rather than a full-size pet urn, because size and stability matter. Options like pet keepsake cremation urns or keepsake urns are designed for smaller portions and can be easier to place respectfully.
Companion placement in a niche or cremation garden (when the cemetery allows it)
Some cemeteries are more flexible with above-ground options—especially family niches—than they are with in-ground rules. If your family is leaning toward cremation, planning for a niche can open up possibilities.
This is also where funeral planning becomes less about “one decision” and more about a coordinated plan: one main urn, one memorial location, and smaller remembrance items for family members. If more than one person wants a tangible connection, families sometimes split a small portion into cremation jewelry—including cremation necklaces—so the “together” feeling is carried in daily life, even if cemetery rules limit a shared interment arrangement.
For a deeper explainer, see Cremation Jewelry 101.
Choosing a cemetery that explicitly accommodates pets and people
In some areas, families look for “whole-family” cemeteries or providers that explicitly allow pets and humans to be memorialized in the same family space. The Green Pet-Burial Society uses the term “Whole-Family Cemeteries” for providers that accommodate both, depending on local rules and each cemetery’s own policies.
If your family knows this matters deeply, it’s often easier to choose a cemetery aligned with that value than to persuade a cemetery whose rules are built around “humans only.”
Creating a “together” plan without a single shared grave
Sometimes the most peaceful plan isn’t “everything in one place,” but “everyone has a place.” That can look like a central memorial for the person (burial, niche, or urn placement), a dedicated pet cremation urn at home, and a shared memorial thread that ties them together—matching urn styles, engraved names, coordinated keepsakes, or jewelry that lets someone carry a small portion close.
Families often find comfort in building a home memorial carefully and safely, especially if cemetery rules are strict. If that’s your direction, keeping ashes at home: How to Do It Safely, Respectfully, and Legally can help you think through placement, household concerns, and long-term decisions.
And if your family’s idea of “together” includes a scattering ceremony—especially near water—water burial planning can be a meaningful way to honor both, while still keeping a small portion in a keepsake or jewelry.
The few cemetery questions that prevent last-minute heartbreak
If you only do one practical thing after reading this, do it early: call the cemetery and ask for their rules in writing. A short conversation now can save a very painful surprise later. Focus on the questions that actually determine the “yes/no”:
Ask: Do your regulations allow cremated pet remains to be placed with a human burial or niche placement (and if so, how)?
Ask: If yes, must the pet ashes be in a separate sealed container and labeled—and can it be placed inside the casket?
Ask: Are there restrictions by section (religious areas, society lots, cremation garden rules), or limits on how many pets can be included?
Those answers will shape everything that comes next—including what type of cremation urns, pet urns for ashes, or keepsake urns make sense for your plan.
Cost and timing: why planning ahead makes this easier
Families often come to this question while also trying to manage cost, timing, and emotions. It’s normal to wonder how much does cremation cost and whether cremation is the “simpler” route.
NFDA reports that the national median cost of a funeral with viewing and burial in 2023 was $8,300, while the median cost of a funeral with cremation was $6,280 (not including cemetery costs). That doesn’t mean cremation is always “cheap,” but it often gives families more flexibility to create personalized memorial choices—like a main urn, a pet keepsake, and a piece of cremation jewelry—without adding a second burial space.
If you want a family-friendly breakdown (and what usually changes the price), see How Much Does Cremation Cost? Average Prices and Budget-Friendly Options.
And if your biggest concern is “we don’t want to get halfway through planning and discover the urn doesn’t fit the plan,” this guide is built for exactly that: How to Choose a Cremation Urn That Actually Fits Your Plans.
Choosing the right containers when the plan includes a cemetery
Even when a cemetery says yes, the “how” matters. Families planning interment often look for secure closures (especially for in-ground burial), durable materials (if the urn will be handled or moved), and appropriately sized keepsakes (if the pet ashes will be placed inside a casket or niche).
For people, browsing cremation urns for ashes helps you match style and placement—whether that’s home display, columbarium, or burial. For pets, pet cremation urns offers options that feel like a tribute, not a generic container.
If your family wants something that visually reflects the pet (especially for home memorials), pet figurine cremation urns can be a gentler way to keep them present without feeling clinical or heavy.
And if “together” means sharing a small portion among family members—common when one person is buried but others want a tangible connection—Keepsake Urns and Sharing Urns walks through how families divide ashes respectfully.
A final note on grief, love, and getting a clear “yes” before you rely on it
Wanting a pet’s ashes with a person isn’t strange. It’s a family trying to tell the truth about who mattered. The practical challenge is simply that cemeteries are governed by rules that don’t always reflect modern relationships—and those rules vary wildly by location and by cemetery type.
So the safest approach is to decide what “together” means for your family, confirm what the cemetery will allow before you rely on it, and then choose containers—cremation urns for ashes, small cremation urns, pet urns, pet cremation urns, keepsake urns, or cremation jewelry—that support the plan you actually have.
