Hartsdale Canine Cemetery, Hartsdale, New York

Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Massachusetts

When I write about our furry family members, I am not referring to those males in the family with hair on their backs, but instead, our little four-legged family members—our dogs and cats. As it turns out, with the exception of how much room is between gravestones, those who bury their pets choose much the same symbolism and gravestone choices as we do with our two-legged family members.

In the example above, the empty bassinet, represents the emptiness that is felt by the loss of the dogs buried underneath. It is much like the empty bassinet gravestone that marks the intricately-carved white marble gravestone of Mary Wigglesworth, who died just shy of her first birthday, her inscription on the pillow.  The symbolism is obvious.  The marker is clearly for a child but also represents the emptiness and sadness from the loss.

Many gravestones also display a photo on the face of the gravestone. That is common in the Hartsdale Canine Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York, too.  The gravestone above displays a photo of a cat named, the Fifth Daisy, while the gravestone below displays the photo of 34-year old Anna Maddalena.

Mt. Olivet, Red Bank, New Jersey