It wouldn't turn me off at all, and I would continue to take care of the gravesites. But if I were in your place the lovingly maintained graves would certainly complicate my feelings about selling, and to whom I would sell.

We have numerous cats and dogs, and two horses, buried on our property, all unmarked. I'm glad I have no plans to leave in the foreseeable future.

yes, I think it would esp if it's concrete...you never know what a person is going to do on the property, no matter how far from the house it is....I think the floral tribute is much better...your memories are yours, not the new owners down the line...

Susanjf makes a good point. Two points, actually.

Interesting. We have a mouse and guinea pig buried below each post of our new deck. Not marked. Our Golden Retriever who we have for 15 years was cremated. On the year anniversary of her death, I sprinkled ashes on the walk that she took for most of her life. Then, the i buried the remaining ashes at the foot of a tree outside our house, so in a sense, she is part of this tree.

I honestly don't know what I would do. I think if the graves were far enough away it wouldn't bother me enough to not buy the house.

On a property your size and only three graves it wouldn't bother me at all, I would appreciate knowing the location to avoid accidentally excavating. But on a small lot would be a problem for me because I like to garden and an area with buried pets would reduce the usable space. When ever I dig in my own backyard I worried that I would find a previous owners pet, so far no unhappy surprises. I would not worry about removing your pets markers

I would not want to see markers for pet graves when looking at a house to purchase. It would be nice to disclose, though, that pets are buried there so if the new owners were to dig they would not get a surprise.

This is why I have not buried our pets in the yard. I can remember them without having a place to go and do not want someone else to dig them up accidentally. Now this comes from someone who still has the ashes of our last cat in a container the vet gave us in a cabinet by our fireplace for the last 10 years! Didn't want to bury it and have someone else years later find the container and be surprised! We do not have a huge lot.

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For me, it would depend on the situation/specifics of the house and property. The way you have described your property, it wouldn't bother me to have the pets' graves there. It would be a place that I could add my cat when he goes to the Rainbow Bridge.

But it's not just the grave markers that could be an issue. If pets are buried but there is no marker, and it's in an area that a future homeowner might dig up for any reason, it would be freaky/creepy to dig up unexpected bones. (Not to mention the fact that they would have to call the police to make sure the bones aren't human.)

We thought about burying our (previous) cats under the deck in our backyard, because to us it would be permanent. (The deck is only one step up from the ground.) But if any further homeowner removed the deck for whatever reason, they'd be in for a surprise. We decided against burial, and had the cats cremated. We still have their ashes in pretty oak boxes.

We live in California, where there are laws governing the disclosure of any and all facts that could be a deciding factor in whether or not someone would want to purchase a house, so potential buyers would at least know there were pet graves, whether or not they were marked.

Sure, it wouldn't bother me. I wouldn't maintain the graves though and would probably remove the markers.

I think if you were to leave, it would be a good idea to take the markers with you.

FWIW, we buried a dog near a tree on our property about 15 years ago, we recently had to remove the tree and I was nervous about finding the remains and I never did. I suspect that he must have completely decomposed.

It wouldn't bother me at all...BUT I would take the markers with me if I had put some out for the deceased pet. I doubt that animal bones would last very long...I agree with TexasGem.

We have at least a dozen different pets buried near the barn and garage, all unmarked, but I know where they are. The only marker we have is a beautiful crabapple tree that was planted on the spot where the first pet was buried. After 18 years there is still a large jingle bell, shaped like a cat's head, hanging in the tree.

I would buy a house that had pet markers in the yard, but I'd remove them if the seller didn't. I wouldn't expect anyone who buys my house to maintain pets' graves or markers, if we had them.

I would remove them if I purchased your house. I just would not have an emotional attachment like you.

I have stone markers for all the pets buried here. I expect - I hope- that by the time I leave here they will have sunk into the grass. I would feel very comforted to see pet markers at a house I was looking to buy. I would know they were my kind of people. And I would add to it as long as I lived there.

Oh gee. You made me remember that a previous owner of this house told me his daughters buried some pets (kittens maybe?) in a corner of the yard. And that corner is now an integral part of a major flower bed; I have dug and trampled and planted in that very spot many hours.

I never have seen any evidence of their pets. I guess that's why I forgot. Maybe they disintegrated? I don't know how long that takes. And I never saw any markers.

When we sold our house and moved here, my son (in his 30's at the time) went up on the hill in back and spent a while saying goodby to his favorite cat. We never thought about moving him. We won't move the one that is buried here either. He's marked with a portable marker that I will probably take with me when/if we move.

We have had pets buried at our Oklahoma house and the Dallas house. I plant bulbs always in the Graves as the only marker, we know why those flowers come up there every year but new owners don't. I hate we have had to leave them but they were long gone. Here at this house I have my precious harlequin Dane buried in the back yard, a small memorial stone marker is there but I have to really go look for it now. We had acerage at those houses also and where the graves are I doubt anyone would be doing anything there. By now it is just dust.

I would have absolutely no problem at all and would be happy to know the previous owners were people who loved and cherished their fur babies as much as we do. I would think they might prefer to take any memorials but I would not be bothered if they were left.

Hmm...this is a tough one...I probably wouldn't like it because I would be afraid that my own live dogs would somehow try to dig up the dead dogs. I don't know that it would stop me from buying a particular house though.

Ditto TexasGem. I would probably remove the markers as well.... after a while.

(Not to mention the fact that they would have to call the police to make sure the bones aren't human.)

Do you really think so, Lindsey? Aren't differences between human and animal bones obvious to most people?

The previous owner of my house buried her dog out back. Not sure where anymore, as I can't remember. She took the marker with her when she left. Our dog, Luther, is buried out back under a redbud tree. There's a marker there. I don't have a problem with it, obviously.

If there are going to be pet graves, yes, I'd rather they be marked. How awful to be turning the soil and trowel up half of Fluffy's remains all unknowing!

I'm not sure the seller disclosure rules Lindsey mentions (which were an important change to real estate laws here in Calif) would require this be mentioned to a potential buyer. Maybe someone in the audience is a real estate agent and can say.

I think a rural location is different. If I were considering a property
in an urban or suburban setting and was told that Fluffy and Rover are
out in the yard under the bird bath, I'd say either they go or I go. We
all have fond memories of departed pets, burying them in a suburban
garden isn't a dignified end (in my opinion).

As for bones, a few years ago I attended a series of lectures given by a physical anthropologist (a retired academic) who serves as a consultant to the local city and county. She gets called to identify bones that are unearthed during construction or excavation (I think the requirement to notify the police is part of the building permit process here). She spends a day or two a week doing so and has become an expert in identifying bones and fragments, both species and gender. She said usually what is found is animals, next is old human graves (including sometimes local Ohlone Indians), and lastly, remains of people who "disappeared". It was fascinating to hear how she can solve such mysteries with small fragments because of her knowledge of distinct characteristics to look for.

Having had the unpleasant experience of unearthing an unmarked pet grave whilst gardening, I would say that I would MUCH prefer a marked or otherwise documented grave than an unmarked grave.

Well, of course, it wouldn't bother me at all, and like Alisande, I would maintain the graves. We have countless animals buried on this place and our old place where we lived for 30 years. My husband told the new owners of the old place, who planned on doing some building, not to be alarmed if they dug up bones because we had several horses buried there. Actually, all of the horses were buried away from where they planned to build. We have always lived on fairly large pieces of property, and one time we considered buying a place that had a small, family cemetery on it. It was fenced off from the rest of the place and the graves were very overgrown with brush and vines....in a wooded area. I hoped we would buy the place, and I looked forward to cleaning up the area and keeping it maintained, but we didn't buy it. It was a little remote for my husband to go back and forth to work. When one of our animals die, we don't put a marker. I plant a live oak tree because they are a long lived tree and most people love them, so I feel like they are less likely to be cut down in the future. A couple of cats are buried under bald cypress trees, but they are a lovely tree too, and near a pond, so not likely to be cut down either

Being such an animal lover, it would not bother me in the least to purchase a property on which any animals were buried or ashes spread, with or without grave markers. I would be happy to know the previous owners loved their furkids enough to give them a proper burial instead of throwing them in a garbage can or dumpster. We have many, many animals buried on the 6 acre property we had in Ohio and we have many buried on our 1 acre property here in GA.

More and more love their pets and they do put graves and bury them on their property, some are marked for all to see and many others aren't. Some are just stepping stones with a memory and those kinds of things.

Why would it bother anyone if its far from the house and nothing around it, would be different if where something is going to go but if nothing, leave it, its respectful for the last owners and plus the pets being buried there that were so loved and cared for to do that for them.

Why does it matter if it belongs to you or not?

They are beloved pets of someone.

Would you get rid of human remains buried as some are used for that and are buried whether you know it or not in many areas?

If its the grave crosses that get to you or dh, then put something flat there.

Everyone knows they won't be in a place forever or have their pets forever either and so for that time where they all were means a huge lot for them.

kathy

They would be gone. Gone with the old, in with the new.

Yes, it would not bother me at all....

As a gardener who has on more than one occasion unearthed the earthly remains of some not so decomposed pets of the previous owner, buried hither and yon in our yard in plastic bags, burlap sacks, and plastic containers, please take my advice! Bury your pet, lovingly and with all the tears that follow the death of a beloved friend, deep and uncovered by man made items. Mark the site with a removable marker, or a large stone, and remember the joy and happiness you shared together. The body will return to it's basic elements in about the same time your heart will begin to heal and mend.

I have moved the found pets, reburied, and planted over their remains, each time I find them. I try to remember that they were loved, and that they're gracing my garden in peace now. I still would have bought our home with or without markers, but I will say that some of my gardens are sadder for the memory of how I found some of the original graves.

countrycottageklutz- You bring up a good point. The pets were buried "nude", with nothing wrapped around them or in any kind of container. They are probably just bones or even less by now. One of the dogs has been in the ground almost 20 years now.

And just to be clear, I might take the stepping stone markers with us when we move, just to have as a memento, but leave the remains behind. And nothing could be built there. It is too close to the property line.

This reminded me of what we found at our last house before this house. I was putting in a rose bush and came across a buried cookie tin. It had the remains of a cat inside. I just reburied it elsewhere in a spot that would remain undisturbed. I hope it is still there.

I would evict all residents, alive or dead!

My house is not for sale, and not likely to be on the market as long as I am alive. But I would remove the markers. And put in something more decorative, such as paving stones or a bird bath or birdfeeder. I do have several pets buried on my property. I have flower beds marking their graves.

On the edge of a big property like you describe, marked pet graves wouldn't bother me at all. I think I would find such a spot both sad and sweet.

I am surprised to hear of so many pet graves. My understanding is burying pets on privately owned property is illegal. I am afraid some day someone may come across our pet graves. We buried the dog's collars and other favorite things in ice cream buckets under my flower garden. They won't disintegrate as fast as remains would. Would I buy a house with marked graves..sure but as others have stated, you need to assume NOTHING you leave behind will be kept by the next owner. You may as well take the markers with you.

Arcy, I wouldn't freak out if my trowel found one of your buried pet memories treasure boxes (it's just the collars and toys, right? Not the actual pet?). It's the half decomposed Fluffy that would freak me out. :)

The law about this is local, however. I'm guessing that it's the law where I live because we have a high water table and there are a lot of funerary regulations to protect the aquifers. The most we ever buried as kids were goldfish, and they're not too different from the soil amendments my mother was buying anyway. The friends' ranch we summered at, however, had no such restrictions.

I've thought about this since we have 4 pets buried in the backyard. We planted a Pink Dogwood in the center of them and hopefully the tree will continue to thrive and any new owners would not dig up the space. I would take my markers and let the new owners know that there are animals buried there. When our current pets pass on I will have them cremated and scatter their ashes since I doubt we will be here longer than 10 more years. We do have an acre lot with lots and lots of trees and wooded spaces.

I would not be bothered if the next place we bought had pets buried there. If I were buying acreage I wouldn't even mind if there was a human graveyard with monuments on it.

To answer the question, yes I would buy a place but they better disclose it. MN law is or at least used to be that essentially anything the seller knows that could impact the buyers use and enjoyment of the property must be disclosed with certain exceptions. Don't remember the exact wording. But, with some people freaky about ghosts, goblins and their own shadows, to find this could freak them out which could result in a negating of the sale or worse. There's been cases where large sums were awarded for rather trivial items all because the seller tried to cover something up. Selling "as is" does not necessarily remove all liability either. The idea is that if they happen to be on a flight path, have abnormal traffic at certain times, frequent power outages, low water pressure, etc, these things need to be disclosed, and rightly so.

On a parcel your size, I'd likely leave it alone unless I wanted to do something there. But on a 25'x50' lot, I'd probably consider removing them. I wouldn't have the attachment the previous owner did, although I would have empathy.

I don't understand peoples' need to have the remains so near to them. Why not cremate them and put their ashes there? I have my pets cremated and I don't want their ashes back even though they meant a lot to me alive they are now DEAD and having their body close won't bring them back. Even having their ashes would mean nothing to me, I have their memories, maybe some pictures, I don't need bones and hide. If I did, I'd have them stuffed. I guess I essentially agree with Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack, that the two biggest wastes of real estate are golf courses and cemeteries.

Yes pllog collar, toys...We have had to put two dogs down and had no way of getting their bodies from the Vet. Also I would have been concerned about wild life finding them on my own property. I never considered cremation..asking for the ashes..at some point the money spent on all this is outside our resources.

It wouldn't bother me a bit and I would assure the previous owners that I would take care of those graves in a manner they would approve of. We have a dog buried right outside our bedroom window. There is also a headstone there which is a great big rock that's been engraved with her name and the dates of her birth and death. Next to our little pond is a cat statue and the remains of two cats are buried underneath it. Two other cats are buried in a different area with a large flat rock on top and smaller engraved rocks with their names. If we ever sell this place and move to another home, we will notify the new buyers of where our pets are buried and we will probably take the headstones with us. It's almost impossible to dig a decent hole around here so I really doubt if anyone would ever stumble onto their remains by accident.

Arkansas has laws about burying the remains of people on private property but it can be done if you fulfill certain requirements. I don't believe there are any laws about burying animals on private property here.

I would have liked to bury my mother here when the time comes, but we decided against that when we thought about maybe having to move someday. I wouldn't be able to sell this place and move away and leave my mother behind.

Wouldn't worry me one bit - in fact I would probably like it.

ETA: I am referring to pet graves of course. My comment sounds a little weird coming straight after the above post.