Faithful Unto Death: new book on pet cemeteries

Faithful Unto Death: Pet cemeteries, animal graves, and eternal devotion
Faithful Unto Death: Pet cemeteries, animal graves, and eternal devotion

In May 2023, I had the pleasure to meet Paul Koudounaris, an author and photographer with a Ph.D. in Art History. He’s the author of the recent book, Faithful Unto Death: Pet cemeteries, animal graves, and eternal devotion. For years, he’s researched cemeteries and death traditions. He is also a cat lover, having published a book, A Cat’s Tale: A Journey Through Feline History, in which his cat, Baba, gives a history of the world from a feline perspective.

In his latest book, he turns his attention to pets, pet owners, and the kind of devotion that motivates the existence of pet cemeteries. Koudounaris visited the Aspin Hill Memorial Park, and commentary and photos from the cemetery are included in this beautifully written and illustrated book. There’s a review of his book on the BBC website, which gets to the heart of his work better than I could. Here’s a link to the article.

Shep the dog to a WW2 pigeon: Eight strange and poignant images of pet cemeteries BBC.com, September 22, 2024.

Author and photographer Paul Koudounaris visiting Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery in May 2023.
Author and photographer Paul Koudounaris visiting Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery in May 2023.

The Mysterious Woman Buried Alone at the Pet Cemetery

Photograph taken at Hartsdale Pet Cemetery in Hartsdale, NY, on October 17, 2012 by Anthony22 at English Wikipedia
Photograph taken at Hartsdale Pet Cemetery in Hartsdale, NY, on October 17, 2012 by Anthony22 at English Wikipedia

The New York Times published a story on January 7, 2024 about a woman whose cremated remains were buried at the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery  in New York. She died without family and all her executor and lawyer knew was that her instructions upon her death were to be buried at the pet cemetery. But no one seemed to know why. Continue reading The Mysterious Woman Buried Alone at the Pet Cemetery

The Rainbow Bridge

Statue of dog with basket of flowers at Aspin Hill Memorial Park.
Statue of dog with basket of flowers at Aspin Hill Memorial Park.

“The Rainbow Bridge” is a sentimental reflection on the loss of a pet and the hope of reunification after death. For decades, it has circulated without attribution among animal lovers. In this blog post, Paul Koudounaris uncovers the identity of the person who wrote “The Rainbow Bridge.” Grab a hanky and read:

The Rainbow Bridge: The True Story Behind History’s Most Influential Piece of Animal Mourning Literature

The story was also picked up by National Geographic. (The article requires a free online membership to read)

The ‘Rainbow Bridge’ has comforted millions of pet parents. Who wrote it?

Kudos to Koudounaris for his tenacity and research skills in revealing the true origin of The Rainbow Bridge.

You Never Forget a Good Dog

Blackie, 1944-1956.
Blackie, 1944-1956.

Blackie was a cocker spaniel mix who belonged to Mel Kornspan’s family when he was a child living in Washington, D.C. Blackie lived a dozen good years as a member of the family before passing away in 1956. Mel’s mother, Rebecca, arranged for her to be buried at Aspin Hill. Mel never forgot Blackie and keeps a tiny photo of her in a red frame to remember her by. Continue reading You Never Forget a Good Dog

Pheasant Farming in Glenmont

“Denley Mansion,” ca. 1970. Photograph from digital collections of Montgomery History.
“Denley Mansion,” ca. 1970. Photograph from digital collections of Montgomery History.

When I grew up in Glenmont in the 1960s, I knew this house as “the Denley mansion.” It sat on a patch of land on the west side of Georgia at Denley Road, just north of Randolph Road. Its most prominent feature was a second-story arched window. By 1966, it was no longer occupied, and I began to hear talk that it was going to be torn down for a subway that would go all the way to Washington, D. C. I remember thinking at the time, “that’s crazy talk.” If you’d told me that there had been a pheasant farm on that same property, I’d have been even more surprised. Continue reading Pheasant Farming in Glenmont

Staff and Fritzie: World War I Dog Heroes

The first known war dog buried at Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery was “Staff,” who fought with an unnamed American unit in World War I. He was wounded by German artillery, but French surgeons stitched him back together again. Two bullets remained embedded in his leg. His mate, “Fritzie,” also fought in the war. Staff died in 1925; Fritzie died six years later in 1931.1

“Costly Stones Mark Graves Of Pets In Novel Animal Cemetery," Washington Times, August 14, 1933,
“Costly Stones Mark Graves Of Pets In Novel Animal Cemetery,” Washington Times, August 14, 1933,

Continue reading Staff and Fritzie: World War I Dog Heroes

Pet Cemetery at the National Arboretum

Dog cemetery. ca. 1916-1917. National Photo Company Collection. Library of Congress Call Number: LC-F82- 1694 [P&P]
Dog cemetery. ca. 1916-1917. National Photo Company Collection. Library of Congress Call Number: LC-F82- 1694 [P&P]
Around 1901, Dr. David E. Buckingham, a veterinarian, established a pet cemetery in a wooded area of Washington, D.C. east of Mt. Olivet Cemetery.  The land is now part of the U.S. National Arboretum.

In an earlier post about Dr. Buckingham, I mentioned looking for this pet cemetery in 2020, without success. On February 23, 2021, I searched again, accompanied by an architectural historian and an archaeologist who had additional information about where the cemetery might be. This time, we had better luck. I found the site of the pet cemetery, but alas there is nothing left but two old gate posts.

Dr. Buckingham picked a lovely spot for his pet cemetery. It’s on the side of a hill overlooking (in the distance) Kingman Lake and the northern section of Kingman Island. Farther out, you can see the Anacostia River.

Perhaps there are still dogs and cats buried there, but there were no visible grave markers. Any further investigation of the site would probably require the approval of the Federal government, something I’m not inclined to pursue.  It’s probably better to let it return to nature. Still, I’m glad I got to see it, and its beautiful vantage point.