Forget about Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (even though I do like the movie adaptation’s title track by the Ramones) for a minute and turn your attention to Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park, the final resting place for dead pets of the stars. One of the oldest of its kind on the West Coast, this 10-acre cemetery in Calabasas, California was dedicated in 1928 and operated by the Jones family until they donated it to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in 1973. There are over 40,000 animals buried here. Years ago I visited a pet cemetery even older than this one, the Hinsdale Animal Cemetery, and I thought it was nice to see the loving messages left by the pet owners as well as the photo ceramics of some of the animals. Nothing spooky about it at all. But maybe that’s because I like hanging out in graveyards. But whatever your opinion, nothing is wrong with paying your respects to Rudolph Valentino’s dog Kabar, Lionel Barrymore’s cat Pukie, Hopalong Cassidy’s Topper, Little Rascals’ Pete, Humphrey Bogart’s dog Droopy and Charlie Chaplin’s cat Boots and the lesser known animals (check out Tawny the Lion) buried at the park. Also, the mausoleum is decorated with stained glass windows of pets. How cool is that? Anyway, if you’re interested, here are some more pictures of the place.
Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park
