Deceased woman wants dog killed, buried with her

DEARBORN COUNTY, IN -- A dog owner in Indiana wants her ashes mixed with those of her beloved pet so that the two can be together for all eternity.

The problem: She's dead. Her dog isn't.

Connie Lay's will gives two options for her German Shepard, Bela, WXIX-TV reports. Option one is for the dog to be killed and the ashes mixed with hers.

The second option is to send Bela to Best Friends Animal Society in Utah. It's the largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the country, but Lay's attorney says her estate doesn't have the cash to make that happen.

Bela is currently being held at an animal shelter while the estate decides what to do. Volunteers are trying to stop the euthanization, even offering to pay to find the dog a new home. But Lay's attorney says that's against his client's wishes.

Legal analysts say the idea isn't entirely uncommon or illegal.

"Animals are considered property and that's what the point of a will is to dispose of property upon one's death. You have that conflicting though with rules that say you have to treat animals humanely," said legal analyst Mike Allen.

The executor of Lay's will has the authority to carry out her wishes. He's already found a veterinarian who has agreed to put Bela down, and is now waiting for the estate to make the final decision.