Our dog, Presley Basset 2005-2016, on one of his patented drive-alongs with the author.

Two years ago the Massachusetts Cape Cod community of Harwich approved the transfer of land to the cemetery commission to build a pet cemetery for the community.  Roads and paths are being put in, landscaping has been done and the project even won an innovation award from the Massachusetts Municipal Association.

Now, according to this article in the Cape Cod Times, Cemetery Administrator Robbin Kelley is asking for a crematory  and cemetery office to be constructed at an estimated cost of around $578,000.  She estimates that with about one cremation per day the county could turn a profit in four years and pay the borrowing back on a 20-year loan schedule.  The Town Administrator Christopher Clark also commented, “This is a very conservative number,” he said.

The idea of a municipally owned pet crematory is not without opposition, however.  According to the article, Harwich taxpayer Richard Gunderson disagrees with the plan.  He commented, “The town shouldn’t be using taxpayer money to build and operate a business that competes with private enterprise.  There is no public safety, environmental, education significance or economic development justification to approve the request.

The article also stated that there are two for-profit pet crematories in the area — one in Plymouth and one in Middleboro.   Finally, the article said this will quite possibly be resolved by a May 15 town election.

Funeral Director Daily take:  I take taxpayer Gunderson’s side in this one unless there is something that I am missing.  In general, I’m a free enterprise person and if there are two for-profit facilities that offer this service in the area, why does the city want to get involved?

While it appears that the two competing pet crematories are in nearby cities and not taxpayers in Harwich, building a municipal crematory will take some business away from the for-profits and make it more difficult for them to pay their community taxes.  Is that being fair to these businesses?

If people don’t object to this, might community owned funeral homes come next?

By the way, my family is pet owners and understand the growing need for pet cemetery space.  If a private group does not do it, I am all for a municipality doing so. . . even to the point of setting aside some virgin land in human cemeteries solely for pets.  However, if it is being done by private enterprise, then leave well enough alone.

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