The military junta asked municipal offices to find land to build a cemetery in which to bury their pets. The search yielded no results, also in light of the existing legislation. Deputy Mayor Mesakapo, in response to Prati (PT), said in the commission that “it is not true that the municipality is not sensitive on this matter. The fact is that the law states that for an animal cemetery there must be cemetery services for the people.” That is, “all necessary services: water, connections, fountains, and public toilets.”

“To do this, we had to build a new cemetery from scratch, at relative cost,” he added. At the same time, a suitable area must be found, given that by law “there cannot be animal cemeteries near those in which people are buried.” The municipality has also taken into account the fact that the national trend “indicates that pet owners are increasingly demanding cremation and less and less – also due to higher maintenance costs – for burial”. Summing up “for the time being we have not put the possibility aside, but we must bear in mind that it is an important investment.”