They are often life-long companions, those from whom you would never want to leave, integral parts of the family. Pets, dogs, cats, parrots, for the love they receive and give, deserve the respect due to humans even when they are no longer there.
And it is from this assumption that thethe act of direction that the councilor Antonella Russo presented yesterday asking that Messina equip itself with a cemetery for pets. A sign of civilization and “pity” towards animals who have spent, in many cases, their entire existence with a family, seeing the children of the house grow up or keeping company with those who are left alone.
The policy document whose first signatory is Antonella Russo of the Democratic Party, was also signed by her colleagues, Oteri, Cantello, Caruso, Gioveni, Vaccarino, La Fauci, Carbone, Zante and Restuccia, who in recent months had already raised the issue by asking the administration to intervene. «Although in Italy there is no state reference legislation for cemeteries for pets, some regions have already moved in this direction in legislation – we read in the document – . For example, the Lombardy Region and the Emilia Romagna Region, in their respective regional laws regarding funeral, necropsy and cemetery services, have tried to define and regulate, in an organic way, the issue of the cemetery for small pets”.
In Sicily there is legislation that dates back to 2000 “which entrusted the initiative to create cemeteries for pets to the Municipalities” but due to a lack of competence to create an implementing regulation, in fact, the experience never started. And therefore the solution has almost always been to bury them in private areas or isolated areas. The most attentive ones veered towards cremation. “The only cemetery for dogs and cats existing in Sicily appears to be located at the Piccolo di Calanovella family foundation in Capo d’Orlando, naturally for private use”, says Antonella Russo. The councilors, who also point out that there are those who have expressed the desire to bury the four-legged friend together with his owner, propose that the Administration identify a suitable site for the creation of a cemetery for pets. And given that the regional legislation has not been finalized to “urge the competent regional departments and departments to issue the implementing regulation and to provide, in any case, for any other regulatory-administrative obligations”.
But the councilors would like the regulation to be drawn up “to provide, where possible, that services for collecting the remains from the veterinary clinic or the home where they are located, an incineration system managed and controlled by the Municipality, ash transfer and burial services, with subsidized costs for citizens compared to the current private service”. Finally, “for the management of the animal cemetery, it must be carried out directly by the public administration, with the help and involvement of Messina associations with animal protection purposes”.
Councilor Minutoli: “The identification of land for the construction of an animal cemetery has been included and foreseen among the activities already underway”
Objective 223 SA 04 Identification of land for the construction of an animal cemetery has been included and foreseen among the activities already underway.
In reference to press reports relating to a policy document for the creation of a cemetery for pets, the councilor with responsibility for the Animal Residence Massimiliano Minutoli specifies the following: “Some municipal councilors would have presented a policy document for the Administration aimed at obtaining the start of the administrative process for the creation of a Cemetery for pets. However, I would like to point out that the municipal Administration, following the issuing of the guidelines linked to law no. 15 /2022 through DP no. 559 of 07/07/2022, has set out among the objectives to be achieved by the year 2023 what is currently proposed by the Councilors themselves. Given that the creation of a cemetery for pets is one of the points of the political program of this Administration, by checking the “System of controls and monitoring of the performance cycle” it will be possible to find that the “Objective 223 SA 04 Identification of land for the construction of an animal cemetery” has been inserted and foreseen among activities already underway. This Department – concludes Minutoli – always remains available for any discussion through the competent Council Commission”.