To think a pet dog should not be buried in mutual gardens?

What an interesting question. I helped dig the hole in my parents garden after their old dog died. We dug very deep, not least because their house backed onto fields and foxes were regular visitors. We buried the old boy in a sheet, covered him with soil and put stones on top until mum planted an apple tree on the spot.
I don't know if what we did was illegal but it was their own house, rather than a communal area.
Do you think your neighbour would be amenable to paying for a cremation. She could then bury the ashes, or scatter them in one of the dog's favourite spots. If the burial does go ahead, it's important to dig very deep to avoid some other creature digging the body up.

I don't know about shared gardens but one of our neighbours buried his very large dog in the garden in a coffin. We wondered if he took it with him when he moved but have never dared ask the new people. When I say new, they have been there for over 15 years so if the dog was still there they must have found it.

If everyone has pets mcem you could end up with a graveyard. You could suggest to her that there are such things as pet cemeteries.

Do you have a management committee or owners committee for your flats mcem? Who it responsible for maintaining the gardens?
There will probably be covenants or rules about what is allowed in common areas. Any committee should at least be consulted.
We visited Tangier Island in Chesapeake Bay a couple of years again and many of the houses had family graves in the front gardens.
I have to say I wouldn't be keen on any remains, human or otherwise, in my garden.

Seems a very odd thing to do in a shared garden. Think a pet cemetery would have been more appropriate.

I would take a dim view of dogs buried in shared gardens, need to check deeds and leases for shared premises. We have a flat that states clearly in the deeds that no pets are allowed under any circumstances. No matter how well loved your pet is the next owner may not be keen to find it when creating his garden.

Good job we're not in a shared garden. We have three Jack Russells and a Chihuahua buried at the end of the orchard. The ashes of a German Shepherd and Rhodesian Ridgeback under the trees at the back and DH's beloved golden retriever is buried in a copse just a couple of hundred yards away on the farm he used to manage.

We'd better keep quiet if we ever put the place on the market

I know someone who had a call from the previous owners of their house. The request was could they come back and dig up the dog they'd buried over 10 years earlier, at the bottom of the garden. Yes they could and they did. Imagine!

I think the other owners should be consulted, perhaps if she had the animal cremated and buried the ashes, perhaps planting a tree or bush over the spot.

I just looked at this. Sleepy Meadow Pet Cemetery and Crematorium, Mill Lane, Moston, Sandbach,Cheshire
These are the costs. (I don't know how up to date it is.)

Pets are cremated individually and are returned in a disposable container
Small Pet£34
Cat/Rabbit£76
Dog £91

My back garden has anumber of deceased budgies but dogs are a very different matter.

I think burying anthing bigger than a small pet dog in any urban garden is not really appropriate.

I don't see a problem with burying your pet in your OWN garden my last cat is there long gone to dust, but in a shared garden NO definitely not Very inconsiderate I think your right to be annoyed

I don't think it is right in a shared garden either. I never do this kind of thing anyway. I just let the vet deal with it, and I don't want any ashes back. Not heartless I love my pets to bits but they are not there anymore so....

Hmm, bit tricky, but having given it some thought, I think providing it was buried VERY deep, I.e much deeper than anyone might dig for general gardening purposes, I could put up with it, although of course buried ashes would be a more acceptable option, but that does have a cost implication.

Without being too yuk or insensitive, the size of the dog might also be a consideration, after all the burial of a Yorkshire Terrier might be easier to cast a blind eye to than, for example an English Mastiff!

No. Communal gardens do not belong to the leaseholders, but are the property of the freeholder & the responsibility of the management company of the estate. In law you would strictly speaking need to get permission of whoever manages the block/development to do this and it is extremely unlikely it would be given. Many people forget that the outside space of leasehold flats is not part of their property and even if they have a share of the freehold, they would still need agreement of the other freeholders.

Aside from whether anyone 'minds' I think your friend would find that it would contravene the Lease to bury her dog in communal grounds. I speak as one who has lived in a house of 8 apartments (who were also the Freeholders). If she goes ahead without checking, she may find herself in an awful situation of having to exhume at a later date Better to get it thoroughly checked out first.

Does it really matter?

Legally she can only bury her dog on her own land so if it is shared with others or owned by a different freeholder, then no. It would also have to be a certain distance away from any water courses and pipes etc. Personally I wouldn't do it on my own property in case I ever moved, I would hate to leave them behind knowing they might accidentally be disturbed. I know people who have had their dogs cremated and then interred the ashes into a planter with a nice plant which they can then take with them if they move. I took my last dog's ashes to scatter at the farm he was born ( with the farmer's permission) knowing I can always go and sit there enjoying the view and the memories if I need to.

Cremation and the ashes of your beloved pet placed in a small casket that can be engraved with your own choice of words This seems to be normal procedure these days.
Some owners I know have made a request in their will that their pets remains will be buried with or added to their own cremated remains when the time comes.

That sounds a good idea nickamram!

Providing there is enough space and they can dig at 4 feet down, restore the ground it shouldn't be a problem as within a couple of yesars there will be little or nothing left. Just the animal should be buried as any wraps, collars etc. may rot too slowly.

I have buried cats and the odd rabbit in my garden and have yet come across any of the dozen or so animals over a thirty year period.

I've buried three cats. Each time I've been lucky enough to have access to a garden to bury them in - the first in a rented flat but the owner was part of the cat's fan club and was happy for me to take up a foot of space, deep down. Now it's my own garden here, and I've found the physicality of digging a deep hole as part of the ending of a many years' relationship was useful, a final effort from me.

Not being able to do this would have been painful. A euthanised animal can be left at a vet's for them to dispose of, I guess they charge, but they would do mass cremation which would be cheaper.

So I can understand why this dog's owner would want to do this final act themselves, and if they only have access to a communal garden, would hope to be able to use it. In a few months there will be nothing to show of the grave site, the owner can choose a plant to mark the spot.

It would all depend on the size of the dog. Anything of any size would need such a big hole that it would be disruptive to the garden.

I think your neighbour should definitely consider cremation and then putting her dogs ashes in a large flower pot that she can take with her if she ever moves home. I have a flower pot with my 3 cats ashes in it, it works for me. I know when I move home or go into sheltered accommodation (you never know!) I can take them with me.

Your poor neighbour. Please be sensitive to her feelings but maybe you could suggest cremation and then she could keep the ashes with her. That is what we did with our dog Hamish and I have found it a great comfort to know at least part of him is still with us.

Communal gardens = no burying of dogs. It's not rocket science.

I think cremation and scattering/burying is a better option but probably more expensive?