Announcement of the general ruling on the disposal of dead pets by burial

Implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 laying down hygiene rules concerning animal by-products not intended for human consumption and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002 (Animal By-products Regulation) in conjunction with the Animal By-products Disposal Act (TierNebG);

Authorisation for the disposal of dead pet animals by burial in accordance with Article 19(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009

The Food Safety and Veterinary Office of the City of Chemnitz (LÜVA Chemnitz) issues the following

General Order

1. Owners of pet animals are authorised to dispose of individual dead pet animals by burial on their own property within the city limits of Chemnitz.
   
2. For the purposes of this general order, the term ‘pet’ refers to an animal of a species that is normally fed and kept by humans for purposes other than agricultural use, but which is not consumed. (This includes, in particular, dogs, cats, small rodents and pet birds that have lived in the owner’s household.)
   
3. The authorisation granted under point 1 is subject to the following ancillary conditions:
   
   3.1 Pets suffering from, or suspected of suffering from, a disease, including pets suspected of having a TSE within the meaning of Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 or in which the presence of a TSE (transmissible spongiform encephalopathy) has been officially confirmed, must not be buried.
   
   3.2 Only pets up to the size of a fully-grown large dog may be buried.
   
   3.3 The plot of land must be suitable for burial. Only the pet owner’s own plot of land may be used for burial.
   
   3.4 Pets must not be buried in water protection areas or floodplains, nor in the immediate vicinity of public paths and spaces.
   
   3.5 The animal’s body must be buried in such a way that it is covered by a layer of earth at least 50 cm thick, measured from the top of the grave.
   
   3.6 The animal’s body must be buried without delay. The storage or temporary storage of the animal’s body is not permitted.
   
   3.7 The animal carcass must be buried either without any wrapping or only in a wrapping that does not impede the decomposition process of the carcass. Plastic bags, plastic film or tins are not permitted as wrapping.
   
   3.8 This general order may be revoked at any time, in particular in individual cases.
   
   3.9 We reserve the right to subsequently introduce, amend or supplement these conditions.
   
4. The general order is issued free of charge.
   
5. The general order shall come into force on the day following its publication in the Official Gazette of the City of Chemnitz.
   

Notes:

The general order primarily contains provisions based on the legislation governing the disposal of animal by-products; provisions under other areas of law, in particular legislation on animal diseases and water management, remain unaffected.

The general order and the statement of reasons may be inspected free of charge by any member of the public during office hours at the Food Safety and Veterinary Office of the City of Chemnitz, Düsseldorfer Platz 1, 09111 Chemnitz.

Information on legal remedies

An objection may be lodged against this decision within one month of its notification. The appeal must be lodged in writing, in electronic form or by making a statement on the record, with the City of Chemnitz, Markt 1, 09111 Chemnitz, or any other office or citizen service centre of the City of Chemnitz.

The appeal may be lodged electronically via De-Mail using the ‘confirmed secure login’ option in accordance with the De-Mail Act. The De-Mail address is: info@stadt-chemnitz.de-mail.de

If represented by a solicitor, the objection may also be lodged via the special public authority mailbox (beBPo) and must be addressed to the beBPo ‘City of Chemnitz’.

Chemnitz, 2 November 2020

Signed Dr Michael Kern // Official Veterinary Officer // Official seal