Pet cemetery
Encyclopedia
A pet cemetery is a cemetery
for animals.
Many human cultures buried
animal remains. The Ancient Egypt
ians mummified
and buried cat
s, which they considered deities
.
The largest dog cemetery in the ancient world was discovered at the Ashkelon National Park
in Ashkelon
, Israel
.
Cimetière des Chiens
in Asnières-sur-Seine
in Paris, dating from 1899, is an elaborate, sculpted pet cemetery believed to be one of the first public zoological
necropolis
in the world.
America's largest and oldest pet cemetery is in Hartsdale, New York
. It dates from 1896 when a vet working out of Manhattan
offered to let a grieving pet owner bury her dog in his hillside apple orchard. Today it is the final resting place for more than 70,000 animals.
s and other animals to which people are emotionally attached are often ceremonially buried. Most families bury deceased pets on their own properties, typically in the yard. Pet cemeteries offer single and multiple plots options. A specially designed pet casket or vault may be used. In cremation, the remains can be saved in an urn, buried, or scattered. In a memorial cremation, several pets are cremated together. The resulting cremated remains are then scattered on the cemetery grounds. In most cases pet cemeteries will have a chapel
, and there will be facilities to hold either a non-denominational Christian or, alternatively, a non-religious ceremony.
In January 2010, West Lindsey District Council gave permission for a site in the village of Stainton by Langworth
where animal remains can be interred alongside human remains as part of a "green burial" site, making it the first place in England where pets could be buried alongside their owners.
American
art
collector Peggy Guggenheim
is buried alongside the grave of her dogs on the grounds of her home, the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni (Now the Peggy Guggenheim Collection
, an art museum on the Grand Canal
in Venice
, Italy
).
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
for animals.
History
Burial
Burial is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing an object in it, and covering it over.-History:...
animal remains. The Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
ians mummified
Mummy
A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
and buried cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s, which they considered deities
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
.
The largest dog cemetery in the ancient world was discovered at the Ashkelon National Park
Ashkelon National Park
Ashkelon National Park is an Israeli national park along the shore of the Mediterranean sea southwest of the city of Ashkelon.The national park is situated in the heart of ancient Ashkelon. It is surrounded by a wall built in the mid-12th century by the Fatimid Caliphate. The wall was originally...
in Ashkelon
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Cimetière des Chiens
Cimetière des Chiens
The Cimetière des Chiens is often claimed to be the first zoological necropolis in the world...
in Asnières-sur-Seine
Asnières-sur-Seine
Asnières-sur-Seine is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France, along the river Seine. It is located from the center of Paris.-Name:...
in Paris, dating from 1899, is an elaborate, sculpted pet cemetery believed to be one of the first public zoological
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
necropolis
Necropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
in the world.
America's largest and oldest pet cemetery is in Hartsdale, New York
Hartsdale, New York
Hartsdale is a hamlet and a census-designated place located in the town of Greenburgh, Westchester County, New York. The population was 5,293 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hartsdale is located at ....
. It dates from 1896 when a vet working out of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
offered to let a grieving pet owner bury her dog in his hillside apple orchard. Today it is the final resting place for more than 70,000 animals.
Burial options
PetPet
A pet is a household animal kept for companionship and a person's enjoyment, as opposed to wild animals or to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic or productive reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful...
s and other animals to which people are emotionally attached are often ceremonially buried. Most families bury deceased pets on their own properties, typically in the yard. Pet cemeteries offer single and multiple plots options. A specially designed pet casket or vault may be used. In cremation, the remains can be saved in an urn, buried, or scattered. In a memorial cremation, several pets are cremated together. The resulting cremated remains are then scattered on the cemetery grounds. In most cases pet cemeteries will have a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
, and there will be facilities to hold either a non-denominational Christian or, alternatively, a non-religious ceremony.
In January 2010, West Lindsey District Council gave permission for a site in the village of Stainton by Langworth
Stainton by Langworth
Stainton by Langworth is a hamlet and civil parish along the A158 between Lincoln and Wragby, in the district of West Lindsey, in the county of Lincolnshire, England...
where animal remains can be interred alongside human remains as part of a "green burial" site, making it the first place in England where pets could be buried alongside their owners.
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
collector Peggy Guggenheim
Peggy Guggenheim
Marguerite "Peggy" Guggenheim was an American art collector. Born to a wealthy New York City family, she was the daughter of Benjamin Guggenheim, who went down with the Titanic in 1912 and the niece of Solomon R. Guggenheim, who would establish the Solomon R...
is buried alongside the grave of her dogs on the grounds of her home, the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni (Now the Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is an art museum on the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. It is one of several museums of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation....
, an art museum on the Grand Canal
Grand Canal of Venice
The Grand Canal is a canal in Venice, Italy. It forms one of the major water-traffic corridors in the city...
in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
).
See also
- Gates of HeavenGates of HeavenGates of Heaven is a 1978 documentary film by Errol Morris about the pet cemetery business. It was made when Morris was unknown and did much to launch his career.-Description:...
- Pet SemataryPet SemataryPet Sematary is a 1983 horror novel by Stephen King. It was nominated for a World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1984, and was later made into a film of the same name.-Plot:...
- Pet Sematary (film)Pet Sematary (film)Pet Sematary is a 1989 horror film adaptation of Stephen King's novel of the same name. Directed by Mary Lambert and written by King, the film features Dale Midkiff as Louis Creed, Denise Crosby as Rachel Creed, Blaze Berdahl as Ellie Creed, Miko Hughes as Gage Creed, and Fred Gwynne as Jud Crandall...
- Pet Sematary IIPet Sematary IIPet Sematary Two is a horror film directed by Mary Lambert. The screenplay was written by Richard Outten. It is the sequel to the 1989 film Pet Sematary...
- Animal lossAnimal lossThe death of a pet or an animal to which one has become emotionally bonded can be an intense loss, comparable with the death of a human loved one, or even greater depending on the individual. The death can be felt more intensely when the owner has made a decision to end the pet’s life through ...
External links
- International Association Of Pet Cemeteries & Crematories
- Interfaith Association of Animal Chaplains
- Virtual Pet cemetery
- Pet Cemeteries - slideshow by Life magazine
- Pet Cemetery Directory - for pet cemeteries across the US and Canada
- - pet markers/pet memorial stones