‘Curious’ Dog Falls Into Grave During Family Funeral

A curious dog had mourners howling at a funeral in New Zealand after somehow slipping and falling in the freshly dug grave.

Paul Graham captured the moment his 13-year-old dog Cochise ended up six feet under during the funeral in Auckland, after his interest in proceedings got the better of him.

In Graham’s video, Cochise can be seen barking from the bottom of the grave while the eulogy concludes with an audible “amen” heard from those in attendance.

Everyone mourns the death of a loved one in their own unique way.

Mourning isn’t an expression of sorrow that’s strictly limited to humans either. A 2022 study found that dogs also mourn the loss of a loved one.

The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, saw 426 pet owners surveyed on changes in their dogs following the death of another canine.

The results showed that 86 percent of respondents reported witnessing negative changes and altered behavior that could indicate grief.

They found that 67 percent of dogs were more attention-seeking, 57 percent played less, 46 percent were less active, 35 percent slept more and were more fearful than previously, 32 percent ate less, and 30 per cent were more prone to whining or barking.

Cochise’s behavior does not have a whole lot to do with mourning though and is more the result of a family mishap. According to Graham, Cochise was initially leashed but was freed by some of the children in attendance.

The poor pooch then ended up falling into the grave during the eulogy. Unfortunately, due to the somber nature of the occasion, he was forced to remain down there for several minutes, barking away the whole time, while the eulogy concluded.

Once it was over, several members of the family worked to move the coffin and get Cochise out. Despite the chaos, Cochise’s antics provided some much-needed levity on an otherwise difficult day.

On the video, Guy Yelchich, the son of the deceased, is heard asking fellow mourners to “shove dad a little bit that way” to make room for him to jump down and retrieve Cochise.

Yelchich adds: “This is a sign dad wanted to be buried on the land” while another mourner is heard to quip: “Never knew you’d go in there before your dad.”

Commenting on the chaos and efforts to rescue his dog, Graham said that, in truth, the incident helped make things a little easier for all involved.

“Everyone found it highly amusing and it really lightened the mood of the funeral,” he said. “It was a traditional Maori tangi funeral, which had been going for three days at that point.”

The incident first came to light after being posted to Reddit under the handle u/paulie07. Titled “My curious dog fell into my uncle’s grave at his funeral” at the time of writing, the video has received over 52,000 upvotes along with a glut of comments.

“That’s how I want to go,” one user wrote. “I want people to have fun at my funeral instead of being sad.” Another commented: “Once the dog falls in the grave and someone has to go in after it, there damn well be someone making jokes. Humor is the only option in a situation like that.”

A third agreed: “I’ve done many funerals for close family members and there’s always been something to laugh about. It makes a hard day not so saddening.”

Newsweek has contacted Graham for comment.

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