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| My Kids |
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| Standing Guard |
May is National Pet Month and pets
have always been a part of the family in many parts of our culture. In fact, ceremonial burial of pets has
been practiced in every part of the world at some point in time throughout
history
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| Gretta's 'Green' Grave |
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| Rauls' Grave at Home |
Today
we consider burial options for them just as we do for humans. And nowadays there are many options to
consider – from the traditional pet burial at home, to cremation, to green
burial, to pet cemeteries.
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| Mummified Cat |
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| Egyptian Cat |
In
Ancient Egypt, pets were mummified, just like people. Sections of land along the Nile were designated for the
burial of animals. It was also
acceptable for pets to be interred in the tomb of their owners. In
1888, an Egyptian farmer discovered a tomb outside of Beni Hasan that held over
80 thousand mummified cat remains, dating from 1000-2000 BCE.
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| Ashkelon National Park |
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| 5th Century Remains in Dog Cemetery |
Ashkelon
National Park in Ashkelon, Israel is home to the largest dog cemetery from
ancient times. Over 700 dog
remains have been discovered so far, dating back to the fifth century B.C. Much more excavation needs to be done
before the final number of canine remains will be known. Researchers say it is the largest known
animal cemetery in the ancient world.
Careful attention was paid to the treatment of these animals after
death, giving them a proper and respectful burial.
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| Beloved Pets |
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| Entrance to Cemetery of Dogs |
The
Cimetière des Chiens et Autres Animaux Domestiques is located in the northwest
Paris suburb of Asnières-sur-Seine, Île-de-France. Established
in 1899, the name literally means “Cemetery of Dogs and Other Domestic Animals”
and it is the burial ground for cats, horses, fish, moneys, even lions – all
pets. The French government declared the cemetery a historical monument in
1987, but due to a lack of interest and tourism, it may have to close.
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| Dr Samuel Johnson |
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| Pet Funeral Procession |
In
the United States, Hartsdale Pet Cemetery in Greenburgh, New York is the
largest and oldest pet cemetery in the country, possibly the oldest in the
world. Started by Dr. Samuel Johnson,
Professor of Veterinary Surgery at New York University in 1896, it was never
really his intention to open an animal cemetery. When a client approached him
and asked for his assistance in finding a suitable location to bury her beloved
pet, one that was not illegal and would not be destroyed, Johnson suggested the
apple orchard on his country property in Westchester County.
(Johnson
was also active in founding the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals (ASPCA).
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| Hartsdale Canine Cemetery |
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| The Entrance today |
Johnson
told this narrative to a reporter who then printed a story about it. Soon Dr. Johnson was inundated with
requests from other pet owners. He
originally set aside three acres to be used for a pet cemetery. Then in 1914,
the Hartsdale Canine Cemetery came into being. It is now the final resting
place of over 75,000 pets, including many canines that served in the U.S.
military.
The
Hartsdale Pet Cemetery also holds the cremated remains of over 600 people who
did not want to be separated from their faithful friends. Although the state of
New York ruled in June 2011, that placing human remains in a pet cemetery was
illegal, a tremendous outcry from pet owners caused them to re-evaluate the law
and reverse it in December 2011.
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| Landscaped Pet Cemetery |
There
are now over 400 pet cemeteries in the United States. This option is now available throughout the country. Using a pet cemetery is a decision pet
owners may make so that they can know that their pet is being treated with
dignity and respect. It is also an
option for those without a private yard for burial, or for those who seek a
quiet and undisturbed location for the final resting place of a dear
friend. And as an added note,
about 25% of pet cemeteries in America will accept the cremains of humans in
their cemeteries.
Traditional
burial is still the most practiced of burial options, but green burials,
inurnment, and cremation are catching on.
And there are other options –
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| Mummified Birds |
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| Mummified Poodle |
Utah-
based Summum, http://www.summum.org/mummification/
is the world’s only mummification company. It offers Egyptian-style mummification for people, and pets.
Mummification for a pet takes four to eight months. When mummification is complete, your pet is placed in a
bronze mummiform and sent back to you.
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| "The Boys" Headstone |
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| Tanner's Headstone with Photo |
Many
companies began offering headstones and grave markers for pets in the
1940’s. Pets can now be
memorialized in many different ways; with simple headstones, grave markers that
include photos or etchings, personalized epitaphs, even elaborate statues. And the use of pet headstones is not
limited to pet cemeteries. Reports
indicate that many people order stones to put in their yards or gardens where
their pet is buried.
Burial
is a way of honoring an animal, of expressing love and respect for a faithful friend,
and of the belief that we will continue to share our journey, even in the after life, with our pets. It shows a compassionate and caring
attitude for our non-human companions in a world that is becoming increasingly
impersonal.
This
newer version of the poem, The Rainbow Bridge, seems to sum up our hopes and wishes for a
continued journey with our furry family members.
The Rainbow Bridge (inspired by a Norse legend)
By
the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,
Is
a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where
the friends of man and woman do run,
When their time on earth is over and done.
For
here, between this world and the next,
Is
a place where each beloved creature finds rest.
On
this golden land, they wait and they play,
Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.
No
more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,
For
here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their
limbs are restored, their health renewed,
Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.
They
romp through the grass, without even a care,
Until
one day they start, and sniff at the air.
All
ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,
Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.
For
just at that instant, their eyes have met;
Together
again, both person and pet.
So
they run to each other, these friends from long past,
The time of their parting is over at last.
The
sadness they felt while they were apart,
Has
turned into joy once more in each heart.
They
embrace with a love that will last forever,
And
then, side-by-side, they cross over… together.
~
Steve and Diane Bodofsky
~
Joy
For
information on pet cemeteries or for assistance with pet bereavement contact
the International Association of Pet Cemeteries & Crematories (IAOPPC) http://www.iaopc.com/.
They
go by many names – those faces from the past. Ceramic pictures, photo porcelain plaques, memorial
portraitures, even postmortem portraits.
They first began appearing on gravestones in the U.S. back at the turn of the century. What began
as a oval porcelain tablet with an image transferred on to it has changed and
been refined over the years into modern day ceramic memorial plaques that are
weather and fade resistant.
In
1854 two French photographers, Bulot and Cattin, patented a process to adhere a
photographic image to porcelain or enamel by firing it in a kiln. The original
ceramic pictures were done in black and white and then mounted on
gravestones. The process caught on
throughout Eastern and Southern Europe, and Latin America. 
For
the first time, ceramic pictures made it easy and affordable for the graves of
the working class to be personalized with a likeness of the deceased. Before
this only the wealthy had sculptures, busts, and carvings done in their
likenesses on their tombs.
By
the turn of the century this type of personalization was becoming very popular
and available around the world. The 1929 Montgomery
Wards & Company Monuments catalog sold ceramic pictures for gravestones and
described them as eternal portraits that “endow the resting place of the dead
with a living personality.” Priced
from $6.50 to $13.50, they were available in an oval, round, or rectangular
shape and came in three different sizes. 
Today,
ceramic pictures come in a variety of sizes and shapes including the
traditional oval, rectangular, and round shapes along with
Ceramic
memorial pictures give us the opportunity to glimpse back into history. As the
old adage goes, “The eyes are the window to the soul,” and these ceramic
memorial plaques allow us one more chance to look into the eyes of this long-ago past and
identify personally with someone who lived in it.
