Carcasses and animal by-products: disposal

Dead pets and certain waste of animal origin, such as slaughterhouse waste or food waste from restaurants or commercial kitchens, must be disposed of properly.

The harmless disposal of these animal carcasses and waste is an important part of animal disease control. Only through effective treatment is it possible to render harmless recognized or unrecognized pathogens of diseases in animal carcasses or their parts.

Dead animals must therefore be properly disposed of in a specialized plant.

Slaughterhouse waste and kitchen and catering waste from restaurants and canteen kitchens that contain animal parts (e.g. meat scraps, sausage) are also subject to statutory disposal.

Under no circumstances should dead pets be disposed of in the organic waste garbage can or compost.

If you have your own property and it is not located in a water catchment area, you may also bury your pet on your property. The animal's body must be covered by a layer of soil at least 50 cm thick.

If the animal is in the public traffic area, the road construction authority is responsible for disposal. Disposal is the responsibility of the road operator due to the duty to maintain road safety, because a dead animal lying on the road is a source of danger. If the animal has an owner, the owner must arrange for the carcass to be collected. If an animal dies on private property and no owner can be identified, the dead animal must be disposed of by the property owner.