WT Policy on Deceased Pet Remains

by KiddingMe 16 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  TheOldHippie

  My old, beloved dog's ashes is resting in an urn under a tree and some bushes I have planted around the spot which was her favourite one in her older days, where she enjoyed sitting or half-sleeping, watching the world go by. Close to her, she has two of her puppies who did not survive, a rabbit and a couple of guinea pigs, the latter are not cremated, though.

  Within a couple of months, the present old, beloved dog's ashes are going to accompany her as well, as the present one is very feeble right now, but she enjoys her daily short trips, and she enjoys resting in the garden, watching the overlapping new dog playing around her. It is tough moments when they are closing in on their final days, but it is comforting to think about their having lived a long and full life, where they have been enormously loved and taken care of, and I really cannot think of anything that I regret in that respect. Mutual love, and so they really deserve to continue resting in the garden they loved so much.
• 

  DeWandelaar

  To hell with their policies :P ... we cremeted our cats (even as a jw and put it in a urn)... it has nothing to do with worshipping. I am not talking to it or whatever. It is there as a remembrance.

  Sorry for your loss by the way :(
• 

  TheOldHippie

  But I'd like to add, though, that I do not think a 2013 article would sound like the 1972 article.
• 

  blondie

  No 2013 article because the WTS feels that the 1972 article is up to date...
• 

  Honesty

  Very few JW's in this area have pets because a pet takes up too much time that could be better utilized in hawking Watchtower comic books.
• 

  KiddingMe

  Julia says,
  However you honour your pet's remains is entirely up to you. It is no one's business, jw or otherwise.

  Thanks, I agree- I wish it was that simple. Anything outside of leaving it at the place for euthanasia looks weird and creepy to my household (husband & kids).

  I asked "what's wrong with bringing the ashes home?" The kids had a look of horror on their face and my husband said "you know we (JW's) don't do that." Then I said, "how do you know what other JW do, your family just never did that?" Then one of the kids said, "yeah, that true, maybe it's just how you use to do things". I added, "there is nothing specifically written on this, as long as your not praying to it" He said jokingly, "you need a bible study."

  He later said, "why would someone bring ashes home?" Any response given looks like I'm going overboard. I said, "to show respect, for someone who has been apart of our family." He said, "it's not necessary to bring it home to know that you have respect and the deceased pet is not going to know so we'd only be trying to make ourselves feel better."

  This will be the kids first experience loosing a pet and I want them to see and understand that there is nothing wrong honoring and dignifying our pets death. I just feel like at least out of respect we should bring it home and bury.

  Jeffry says,
  The JW policy on cremation (of humans) is that it's a personal matter, but that they should consider local community funeral customs and avoid 'stumbling' others. There is no specific 'policy' about cremating pets.

  I agree, that's pretty much the gist of what, I've found. Most of what I've found on pets resemble the one Blondie referenced, that very minimum (time & money) should be done or else you are elevating or idolizing your pet above humans.

  This is part of my issue. My husband is seeing this as excessive, considering all the money we've spent on our pet this past week. We started at $140 and now we are around $2000 in a matter of days for a pet he pays insurance for monthly. He is of the mind set that the animal professionals are running a racket to make money. So, the cremation company is just the next people in line to get our money.

  There's a WTS article that parallel this thought too.

  TheOldHippie- I agree with your thoughts and how appropriate when you say, that your pets deserve to rest in the place they love so much. I'm going to try this angle today with my husband and hope I make a breakthrough.

  In regard to whether a 2013 article would sound like a 1972 article, I think Blondie makes a point when she says, "No 2013 article because the WTS feels that the 1972 article is up to date..." Also a 2013 article couldn't take the same tone regarding pets at the 1972 article.

  When I get some time I will post some of the interesting articles I came across on this subject in case they can be of any benefit for someone else.

  Honesty says,

  Very few JW's in this area have pets because a pet takes up too much time that could be better utilized in hawking Watchtower comic books.

  That's just how the WTS wants it. ;-)
• 

  Band on the Run

  This is WT doublespeak. Burial of pets is a personal conscience matter. Yet the WT publishes a long statement whose title states that balance is necessary. Yet the content includes no balance. The law has long regarded bequests for animal welfare to be lawful and not against public policy. The WT is worried that Rex or Muffy might get cash that the WT deserves. The proper place of pets is not discussed. No, we hear about the extremes.

  Who is harmed if a pet eats off a plate? People are starving and homeless. Wars continue. The WT seizes control of people's lives. Yet we must worry about dogs or cats eating from plates instead of dog bowls or cat bowls. I suggest that the WT has a view concerning the remains of humans and pets. It is throw them in the trash.

  Only after we left the KH did we have a dog. She was such a healing force. Rascal would not appreciate the world's riches. She was content with chasing cats, snoozing, and flying while sticking her body out of a car. Human food was a treat. Dog food must taste dreadful. Unless people food has a special status among dogs. When she died, she was buried in a pet cemetary with a brass marker. It said that she was always true to her name and that we loved her. Yes, it does cost some money. Her company and spunk, however, was priceless to use.

  Human interaction with other species, esp. high evolved combinations such as dogs and humans, shows spirtuality. They do so much for us and we do so much for them. But the proper place for a dead JW dog is in the garbage can. Anyone who has had the misfortune of attending a JW funeral knows that the deceased is rarely mentioned for more than a few minutes. Strangers must hear the conversion shtick. The JW human dead should be trash, too.

  Yet anthropologists around the world find ancient burial sites of humans, dogs, cats, and horses that show burial customs. Well, Rascal was not thrown in a garbage can. It may be against the law to throw them out with general trash. If Jehovah wants to make an issue about my pet, let JAH do it. I am waiting for his might wrath. So far I've wait for sixty years for the imminent coming of his mighty wrath.