What better subject for the night of Halloween than a Pet Cemetery!

Recently I was in NY visiting with Dad and we took a trip to the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery to visit the grave site of two of our beloved dogs.

This is a fascinating place that is certainly worth a stop if you are in the area.

Hartsdale Pet Cemetery came in to being by chance rather than by planning.  In 1896, Dr Samuel Johnson, a veterinarian, owned an apple orchard in Hartsdale, NY.  One day, a distraught client entered Dr Johnson’s NYC office with an urgent problem.  Her beloved dog had just died and she wanted to find a place to give it a proper burial. Since this was not possible in the City of NY, Dr Johnson offered to let her bury her pet in his apple orchard in Hartsdale.

This act of kindness on the part of the Dr led to the birth of what is today, the first and finest pet cemetery in America.

Hartsdale Cemetery is now home to over 100,000 beloved pets.  Their owners came from all walks of life, from the famous to the ordinary every day person.  There are dogs, cats, birds, all manner of other pets and a lion cub.

The War Dog Memorial was erected in 1923 to honor all of the dogs that served in WWI. Every year on Memorial Day weekend, American Legion Post 8 holds a ceremony at the cemetery to honor canines who have performed extraordinary feats of courage.

Irene and Vernon Castle were famous ballroom dancers who appeared in silent films and on Broadway in the early part of the 20th century.

They popularized the Foxtrot and performed the latest Ragtime dances such as the Turkey Trot and the Grizzly Bear.

Irene Castle became a major fashion trendsetter, initiating the vogue for shorter, fuller skirts and loose, elasticized corsets. She is also credited with introducing American women, in 1913 or 14, to The Bob, the short, boyish hairstyle favored by flappers in the 1920s.

If you are a fan of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, which I am, you might enjoy their 1939 movie, “The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle”.

Irene’s pet monkey, Rastus, as well as her five dogs are all buried at the cemetery.

Ruggles human was George Raft, an actor from the 1930s and 40s.  He was a dancer but was mainly identified with his portrayals of gangsters.

This tombstone of “Dummy” is one of my favorites, mainly because of the name.  I can only wonder what he did to earn this name.  I have been known to call my dogs Goobers and Knuckleheads, but those are only nicknames.  Dummy…hahaha.

One of the things I found interesting about the tombstones was that many had a Star of David and some a Cross. How did the owners know what their pets spiritual beliefs were?

Until next time

Happy trails,