Why Cebu City’s ‘pet cemetery plan’ matters
Our bond with our pets often outlives their short lifespans. Some say they’re only borrowed from heaven — gifts meant to remind us of pure love. And when it’s time to say goodbye, the grief can be just as real as losing a family member. That’s why pet cemeteries, though uncommon in the Philippines, offer a much-needed space to mourn, remember and heal.
On Oct. 20, 2025, Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival announced plans to establish a pet cemetery in the city.
“It’s already on the drawing board. We have already asked the City Architect’s Office to prepare the plan, and hopefully before the end of the year, I can already show you the concept,” Archival said in a press conference, as reported by SunStar Cebu.
While the plans are still being finalized, here are some of the reasons why Cebu — and the rest of the Philippines — should have accessible pet cemeteries:
To ensure proper disposal of pets
According to city reports, the remains of deceased pets are often discarded in public places, including rivers — a practice Mayor Archival hopes to address. He mentioned Barangay Guba as one of the potential sites being considered for the proposed pet cemetery.
Having a proper facility for pet burials is not just about orderliness but also about health and respect. Improper disposal can contaminate water sources and pose sanitation risks to nearby communities. A dedicated cemetery ensures that pet remains are handled safely and responsibly, preventing pollution and disease.
To honor a practice rooted in history
Pet burials aren’t new. In fact, they’ve been around for centuries. According to Guinness World Records, “The oldest known pet cemetery was discovered by a team of Polish archaeologists on the outskirts of Berenike (also known as Berenice Troglodytica), a ruined ancient seaport on the Egyptian Red Sea coast. The cemetery, thought to date from the 1st or 2nd century CE, contained the remains of 536 cats, 32 dogs and other animals, including several small monkeys and a juvenile baboon.”
The discovery showed that these animals had received care and affection both in life and in burial — and notably, there were no human remains found at the site.
In modern history, the first urban pet cemetery was founded in 1881 in Hyde Park, London. As reported by Euronews in Oct. 2024, it began with the burial of a small Maltese dog named Cherry. His family, close friends of a local gatekeeper named Mr. Winbridge was allowed to bury him there.
“Word quickly got around,” Euronews wrote, “and suddenly Mr. Winbridge was inundated with pet burial requests. Through sheer generosity, he had unknowingly created a much-needed solution to people’s increasingly desperate dilemmas over pet disposal.”
To provide closure through memory
For many pet owners, goodbye doesn’t end when the heartbeat stops. The bond lingers — in the empty bowls, the quiet corners, and the ache that insists love deserves a resting place too.
In a December 2024 report by Voice of America, a story from Hartsdale, New York, captured how deeply this need for closure runs. On most days, Mark Lindenberg visits Boots, his beloved cat who died in 2020 at age 17. Buried at Hartsdale Pet Cemetery — America’s oldest working pet cemetery — Boots rests beneath a tombstone that reads, “You taught me how to love and be loved.”
“Human cemeteries are sad,” Lindenberg says. “This is one of the most cheerful places. When you look at the love behind every plot — the sayings, the toys, the pinwheels — I can’t think of a better place.”
To recognize that they deserve it
As animals moved from the yard into the home, their emotional significance to people changed — and so did the way society regarded their loss. Once viewed as property or helpers, they became companions who shared our routines, affection and sense of belonging.
As Smithsonian Magazine explained in a September 2024 article, historian, author and photographer Paul Koudounaris — who wrote Faithful Unto Death: Pet Cemeteries, Animal Graves, and Eternal Devotion — found that while humans have buried animals since ancient times, these were rare or ritual cases. The practice of pet burial as an act of love only emerged in the 19th century, when city life transformed human-animal relationships.
“For the first time, you get people living in big cities with animals in confined quarters,” Koudounaris said. “This naturally changed the relationship people had with those animals — not just physically, but also emotionally.”
From there, pet cemeteries became symbols of affection and remembrance — places that honor the quiet but profound companionship animals bring into human life.