In America's first pet cemetery, beloved animals from lizards to lions find a peaceful final resting place

At first glance, it's easy to mistake Hartsdale Pet Cemetery for a traditional burial ground. Maybe after a few minutes you'll notice that the plaques, made mostly of granite or marble, are slightly smaller than classic headstones. Some names may seem familiar (Tina, Jessica, Max), and others - Meat-eater, Pinky Doodle, Mr. Whiskers - may clue you in that this is no grim repository of human remains.

But it's the epitaphs that make it clear that this is no ordinary cemetery. The spirited feelings you encounter seconds after entering Hartsdale's manicured grounds can be overwhelming: Dillon was a small, fluffy white dog who "loved cookies, sticks, snow, playing ball, hamburgers, walks and sitting outside." Hodge was a "kind gray cat." Sport may have been "born a dog" but "died a gentleman." Fudge was "the most wonderful cat" and Woodstock was "a darn good cat who was often mistaken for meatloaf." Sandy was "the best dog in America" and Spot was "the best dog in the world."

Tara was just "the best cat in the world".

"In human cemeteries, that kind of emotion just doesn't happen," says Brian Martin, manager of the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery. When most people are buried, they place a stone on their grave with their name, birth and death dates - and nothing else. However, in Hartsdale, people are much happier to express how much their pet meant to them by engraving phrases such as: "The love of my life," "The most loving and sincere friend I've ever had," "I'm waiting to join you," and "Irreplaceable."

"There's a lot of love here," Martin says.

Despite what it says on the gate, all animals are welcome in Hartsdale. | Photo: Alexandra Sharitan

America's first pet cemetery

In the late 1800s, New York City banned the burial of pets in human cemeteries or public parks within the city limits (as of 2017, this is no longer the case). In 1896, a distraught client called Dr. Samuel Johnson, the state's official veterinarian, after her dog died, saying she couldn't bear to dispose of its body. Dr. Johnson offered to bury the dog in his orchard located about 25 miles north of town in Hartsdale.

As word spread, Johnson received requests from other pet owners, and America's first official pet cemetery was established. An article in The New York Times in 1905 raised its visibility and prestige, and today the 5-acre cemetery is the final resting place for more than 70,000 animals. Although the wrought iron entrance gate reads "Hartsdale Dog Cemetery," all beloved animals, regardless of species, can go to Hartsdale.

Not many celebrities are buried here, but Hartsdale has several pets of famous owners, including Mariah Carey's cat, Clarence. The most exotic animal is a lion named Goldfleck. Bought by a Hungarian princess from the Ringling Brothers Circus, Goldfleck lived with his eccentric owner at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, lying in the bathtub of a suite of rooms, until his death in 1912. Goldfleck's white marble headstone (located directly in front of the cemetery office) bears the following inscription: "Buried beneath this stone is the beautiful young lion Goldfleck, whose death was sincerely mourned by his mistress Princess Lvoff-Parlagie, New York, 1912."

Photo: Alexandra Sharitan

Photo: Alexandra Sharitan

The horses must be cremated before they can be buried in Hartsdale. | Photo: Alexandra Sharitan

Hartsdale is not just for dogs and cats. | Photo: Alexandra Sharitan

All kinds of service dogs can be found in the cemetery. | Photo: Alexandra Sharitan

Photo: Alexandra Sharitan

Photo: Alexandra Sharitan

"Everything that has ever been considered a pet, we bury here," Martin says. Dogs and cats still account for the majority of burials, but Hartsdale also buries rabbits, ferrets, snakes, turtles, guinea pigs, horses, lizards, rabbits, monkeys and even humans.

About 700 people - or rather, their cremated remains - are buried next to their pets. "Here you can bury a Jewish cat next to a Christian dog," Martin says. "There are no sections for different animals or different religions here - everyone is mixed together."

Lizards and lions

Images of animals are everywhere you look: bas-reliefs, engravings, statues and ceramic portraits attached to headstones. Hartsdale has two mausoleums, one built in 1924 and one built in 2005, and even one monument in the shape of a dog house. The oldest surviving monument is dedicated to Dottie, "E.M. Dodge's beloved pet," with a date of September 16, 1899. The tallest monument, more than 6 feet high, is dedicated to Grumpy, a bulldog who died in 1926: "His sympathetic love and understanding enriched our lives."

The centerpiece of Hartsdale Cemetery is the War Dog Memorial, located at the top of the hill. The monument, unveiled in 1923, features a bronze German Shepherd dog dressed in a blanket with the Red Cross symbol. Dedicated to the memory of war dogs, it was "erected by dog lovers to man's most faithful friend for valiant services rendered during the world war."

War Dog Memorial. | Photo: Alexandra Sharitan

Photo: Alexandra Sharitan

Every June, Hartsdale hosts a ceremony honoring service dogs of all kinds. Several dogs that served in wars are interred in the cemetery, including Scamp, a World War II canine soldier, and Joachim, who served in Vietnam. Burials of police dogs draw huge crowds, and there are several cenotaphs dedicated to dogs who helped search for survivors of bombings and terrorist attacks. The tombstone of Yatzy, a guide dog, features her portrait along with her visually impaired owner and the epitaph "My guide angel."

" You don't have to bury a pet," Martin says. And while most of the animals buried here may not be famous, they clearly had a big impact on someone during their short lives - even if not everyone understands the need to spend thousands of dollars to memorialize a family lizard.

"People come in here and say their friends and family think they're crazy for wanting to bury their pet," Martin says. "We say, 'Not only are you not crazy, but look at all the people from the 1890s who felt the same way you do now.'"

Peaceable kingdom

Many of the burials in Hartsdale come from nearby cities, including New York City. "It's such a pet-friendly town," Martin says. "But a lot of people don't have yards or aren't going to live in one place forever. They know it's a safe place for their pet."

People burying their first pet in Hartsdale often have their current - very much alive - pets in mind as well. Family plots (which vary in size and price) containing more than one animal are common. The smallest ones accommodate cats and tiny dogs, while a Gratdown or Bernese Mountain Dog will require an XL lot. Hartsdale does not have the space or resources to bury larger animals, but the cremated remains of several horses are interred here.

Photo: Alexandra Sharitan

Photo: Alexandra Sharitan

Photo: Alexandra Sharitan

Note the matching jackets. | Photo: Alexandra Sharitan

Photo: Alexandra Sharitan

Photo: Alexandra Sharitan

Photo: Alexandra Sharitan

Plot owners can choose an annual maintenance fee or a one-time contribution to a perpetual care fund. When pet owners die themselves or move away, surviving family members who don't want to pay for grave maintenance for an animal they never met can call Hartsdale: "When their parents die, children ask us to vacate the grave of the family pet, saying, 'I never knew that dog,'" Martin says. If the annual bill is not paid, Hartsdale waits several years - far more generous than the 180 days required by law - before exhuming and cremating the remains. The ashes are scattered on the property and the plot is resold.

Thanks in large part to Stephen King, people often have a misconception about pet cemeteries. Far from being a creepy place, Hartsdale is the epitome of its "peaceful kingdom" moniker. More than that, it is a testament to love, and it is almost impossible to walk through the grounds of the cemetery without getting teary-eyed at the thought of how much people love their pets.

And unless each person chooses the eternal care scenario, theoretically Hartsdale, which sits on owned land and is the only pet cemetery in the country listed on the National Register of Historic Places, will never run out of space for dignified burials of beloved family members with silly names. The fact that Fido will never be disturbed to build a luxury apartment building is reassuring to anyone worried about the future of their pet's remains. As long as you pay for your pet's upkeep, which is required by law in New York State, "your pet will be here long after you're gone," Martin says.

Hartsdale's blooming grounds. | Photo: Alexandra Sharitan

"A very rewarding job.

The Martin family has run Hartsdale since 1974. Edward Caterson Martin Sr. - father of current cemetery director Edward Martin Jr. was a master stone engraver. He created many of the monuments you can still see in Hartsdale today.

Brian Martin's responsibilities as manager include assisting grieving owners through the burial process, and Hartsdale provides services every step of the way. They offer transportation within the tri-state area, cemetery viewing, assistance with headstones, flowers, and graveside care. Pets are buried in small wooden or metal caskets - almost the same as a human funeral, only smaller. There is a crematory on the Hartsdale property, but it is no longer owned by the Martin family. The animals are buried naturally (not embalmed) and the owners are offered a final viewing.

"People are often surprised at how calm their pet seems," says Martin. "I was absolutely devastated when my dog died, so I know how hard it is. People thank me all the time for helping them through a very difficult time. It's a very rewarding job."

Hartsdale is still an active cemetery, and although deaths are unpredictable, Martin says there is an average of one burial per day. The grounds are open every day of the year except New Year's Day; popular times to visit are holidays, as well as a pet's birthday or the anniversary of their death. When I visit in early May, the graves of the deceased are still adorned with baskets and stuffed rabbits, a remembrance of Easter.

The cemetery "provides shelter for pet owners and an opportunity to reflect on past times with beloved companions," writes Hartsdale Vice President and Brian's brother Edward C. Martin III in his book , " Peaceable Kingdom in Hartsdale." "Every day many come, even years later, to express their abiding love."

If you go

Hartsdale is open, weather permitting, Monday through Saturday from 8am-4:30pm, Sunday from 9:30am-4pm, on holidays from 9:30am-3:00pm, and closed on New Year's Day. It is a 15 minute walk from the Hartsdale Metro North station.