Change rarely happens overnight, nor is it ever the result of just one person. The changes we hope for the world can occur when each of us contributes to a common goal. Such has been the case for the Green Pet-Burial Society in 2018. Here are some highlights:

Events

Reimagine 2018, San Francisco – April 17, 2018. We were invited to create an event as part of a week-long community effort called Reimagine End of Life featuring over 150 events across San Francisco. Ours was the only nonprofit dedicated exclusively to grief for our animal companions. Entitled ‘Honoring our Pets,’ we inaugurated a participatory, large-scale, public, kinetic art piece, ‘1,000 Doors: An Ecosystem of Love,’ at beautiful Ocean Beach. We also conducted participant interviews, which will become an integral part of this project, Reimagine held another event in New York City, but we could not attend due to lack of funds. Continue reading →

iStockphoto/Getty Images via NPR blog. Although we love the subtle shades of greys and greens, the image used by NPR is not that of a conservation cemetery – which would look like a wildlife preserve. Here, nature reclaims what was built.

We’ve had a great month!

The Green Pet-Burial Society and its programs promoting conservation whole-family cemeteries were highlighted in the new book, Even Vegans Die, by Carol Adams, Patti Breitman, and Ginny Kisch Messina. We were especially delighted that the authors chose to conclude the book with a discussion of our idyllic work, which highlights continuity and hope rather than a severing ‘death.’

Additionally, news outlet NPR (National Public Radio) featured our work in a recent blog by anthropologist Barbara King, entitled When ‘Whole-Family’ Cemeteries Include Our Pets. King wrote the influential book, How Animals Grieve (University of Chicago Press, 2013), which is listed in our Bibliography. We’re particularly pleased with the quote she used: Continue reading →

The Green Pet-Burial Society has recently been contacted by several people seeking to create new pet cemeteries, and several more wanting to create either a green burial section in an existing cemetery, or implement eco-friendly practices throughout their cemetery.

In response, we prepared a new document for pet cemetery professionals which covers the basic conceptual, cultural, aesthetic and economic aspects that are significant to cemeterians and eco-conscious consumers. Additionally, it reimagines pet cemeteries as local centers for environmental sustainability. Continue reading →