Bill would monitor pet cremations

Chicago, Ill. - An Illinois bill (HB1825), signed by Gov. GeorgeRyan on Aug. 9, has added new rules for pet cremation, but critics chargethe new rules may be unenforceable.

The state legislation was drafted after some pet owners filed complaintswhen finding bones from different animals in the urns of pet remains, reportsthe Chicago Sun Times.

The bill, which passed the state legislature earlier this summer andwill go into effect Jan. 1, 2002, mandates that businesses offering individualpet cremations limit the amount of remains from other animals to 1 percent.

At presstime, Eve Larocca, executive director of the Illinois VeterinaryMedical Association, said the association had a neutral position on thebill.

Prior to the signing a lawyer representing one crematorium had askedthe governor to veto the bill and was fighting for a 10 percent standard.

"My client feels that the 1 percent standard is an impossible standardto enforce," says Richard Kavanagh, an attorney who represents MetroAnimal Services near Plainfield.

He adds, "The chance of an unintentional violation of the act isgreat" with the equipment available to crematories.

Bill Remkus, owner of Hinsdale Pet Cemetery disagrees that equipmentis the problem.

"The way we do individual cremations, the remains are totally sweptout before another animal enters the unit," he says.

However, Remkus adds that some crematories have agreements with veterinariansand animal control departments to perform mass cremations, and those placesmay use larger equipment that is difficult to clean.