A healthy Shih Tzu mix named Emma was recently euthanized and laid to rest with her deceased owner, as the owner instructed in her will, near Richmond, Va.
In accordance with the owner’s wishes, Emma was taken from the animal shelter where she was being held and euthanized at a local vet clinic. The dog was cremated so it could be laid to rest with its owner, according to NBC affiliate NBC 12.
Though joint pet-human burials are illegal in Virginia, there are loopholes in the law that allow for exceptions — for example, Virginia code forbids pets from being buried with humans in commercial cemeteries, but there are exceptions for private and family-owned cemeteries.
Many veterinarians in the state refuse to euthanize healthy pets, although it is legal to do so as pets are considered the owner’s personal property. One vet, Dr. Kenny Lucas, told NBC 12 he refuses to end the lives of healthy animals.
“Whenever we’re faced with a euthanasia situation, it’s a very emotional situation — and beyond everything we talk about — that we need to do ethically, and we’ve taken an oath to do,” he said. “Also it’s something we take home too. It weighs on us as professionals.”
