As anyone who has been through it can tell you, losing your beloved pet is a fairly traumatic experience.
But did you know that if you don't follow some strict rules around burial, you could make the whole thing worse by landing yourself with a hefty fine?
It's natural for most people to want to bury their pet somewhere nearby so they have a place to go to pay their respects.
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While this is fine to do, however, you will need to stick to some general rules or risk a £5,000 fine.
According to the government's Animal By-Products rules:
- You must not bury your pet near a water source.
- You must own the land where you make the burial - bad news for renters.
- The pet must be buried under at least 2ft of soil, if it's heavy soil, or 3ft if its lighter.
- Your pet must not be 'hazardous' - for example, if your pooch or kitty had undergone chemotherapy prior to its death.
By not following these rules, you could receive a maximum fine of £5,000 - the statutory maximum amount in the UK.
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You could even face up to three months in prison.
Other pet-related behaviour that could land you a fine includes allowing your dog to poke its head out of your car window while driving.
Rule 57 of the Highway Code warns drivers they shouldn't let their pet in the car, unless they use a seatbelt harness or a carrier.
It reads: "When in a vehicle make sure dogs or other animals are suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you, or themselves, if you stop quickly."
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It adds: "A seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or dog guard are ways of restraining animals in cars."
Mark Tongue, spokesperson for Select Car Leasing told The Express: "We'd recommend you don't let your dog stick its head out of the window.
"Not only does that potentially illustrate that the animal is not restrained properly, there's also the obvious risk of its head coming into contact with something, like a bush or a tree, resulting in a bad injury.
"And make no mistake - if you don't have your dog properly restrained, and it's causing distraction, you could be prosecuted by the law.
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"The most common charge in such circumstances is one of driving without due care and attention which is enough, in some cases, to warrant a disqualification, between three and nine points on your licence, or even a fine of up to £2,500.
"Don't take the risk.
"Make sure both you and your pooch are buckled up properly."
Featured Image Credit: Pixabay