Is It Legal To Bury Your Dead Pet In The Backyard In Illinois

A bit of a grim topic, but something many of us sadly deal with in our lives. The short answer to a question as grim as burying pets in your yard is yes it is legal. In Illinois, state law does require an animal owner to dispose properly of a carcass within 24 hours of learning of an animal's death.

The Pet Burial Laws

This is the basic state law,

By law the burial must be on the premises owned and operated by the owner of the dead animal. Producers must ensure appropriate burial depth as well as distance from streams, potable water supplies and residences and all other rules found in the Illinois Dead Animal Disposal Act Section 90.110, On-The-Farm Disposal.

It should be noted that a city or town may have additional ordinances that regulate or prohibit burial within the city or town limits. You can learn more about Illinois here.

Illinois is a bit stricter compared to other states like Iowa. Honestly, Iowa is very simple and basic. The state requires the disposal of any dead animal within 24 hours of its death as well. You must do one of the following, according to an ISU write-up on the matter:

The disposal can be by composting, cooking, burying, or burning or by disposing of it to a person licensed for disposal of animals.

Yep, you read that correctly. They said cooking.

Dead Animal Disposal Act

As said before, If a pet does pass away, the owner is required to dispose properly of the deceased pet within 24 hours of learning of an animal's death. You can learn more about the DADA here.

It's never fun to talk about, but now you know.