Rising Pet Burial Expenses Burden Bengaluru Owners

Bengaluru: According to animal activists, rescuers, and feeders, the only BBMP-run animal crematorium in Bengaluru has been out of service for more than two months. This situation has left many with no choice but to opt for pet burials, which come at a significant expense. Some have had to resort to interring their pets on farms or in the gardens of friends.

Currently, burial costs start at INR 2,000, whereas the BBMP crematorium previously charged INR 800 for dogs and INR 300 for cats. Back in December 2024, BBMP announced it had located two sites, Yelahanka and Dasarahalli, to establish electric crematoria for pets.

On Thursday, Vikas Suralkar Kishor, BBMP Special Commissioner (Health & Animal Husbandry), informed Metrolife that the plan now is to invite bids for several smaller crematoria throughout the city. The Sumanahalli crematorium is under repair due to a collapsed exhaust pipe. Some animal rights activists estimate it may take another four to five months before it becomes operational again.

Swayambhu Soham, who cares for community animals, discovered that each of six major animal hospitals in Bengaluru reports around 100 animal deaths per month. “This does not include the deaths that go unreported,” Swayambhu points out.

Shelters Under Pressure

Sujaya Jagadish, an animal welfare volunteer, observes that shelters typically house between 200 and 300 animals, mainly dogs and cats. “I’m sure there are a significant number of deaths per day. I wonder where they are cremated or buried,” she says.

At Friend for Animal Trust in Yelahanka, a shelter, between 10 and 20 dogs pass away each month. Many of these animals are either severely injured or elderly. “We are shelling out Rs 2,000-Rs 3,000 per dog. It adds up to Rs 30,000-Rs 40,000 per month,” shares Vikash Bafna, founder.

Rekha Vijaykumar, a Yelahanka resident, recently lost her 20-year-old cat and paid Rs 10,000 for the burial. “I have lost multiple pets before, but because of the BBMP crematorium, I was able to finish the cremation at a cost of under Rs 1,000 earlier,” she tells Metrolife.

Unable to afford the Rs 10,000 fee, Prashanth N from Malleswaram had to drive 80 km to bury his dog on a friend’s farm last month.

Guidelines for Safe Burials

Shahid Wasim, a veterinarian with nearly two decades of experience, notes that burying an animal on private property not designated for burials is acceptable “as long as it is properly disposed of and it did not die of a serious infectious disease like anthrax, tuberculosis, or brucellosis. The pit must be three feet deep, so that no other animal digs it up and eats the carcass. It is advisable to cover the body with salt (which acts as a disinfectant) before covering it with mud,” Wasim says.

Pramila Vincent, who cares for community dogs near Richmond Road, says the BBMP helpline (1533) is helpful when dogs die. “We cover them in plastic and keep them on the side of the road. After receiving a call, the volunteers come and collect the dog. But we do not know where they are taken and whether they are cremated or buried. Three dogs died last month and this is how we handled their remains,” she reveals.

Meanwhile, Rotary Bangalore Sadashivnagar is launching an initiative called Prani Mitra to address the challenges of animal burial and cremation, according to member Alagappa Eshwarappa Shashidhar.