Pet cemetery etiquette

[daugen]

In clearing out some overgrown areas at my new home, I came upon the grave markers for at least two dogs. This property was cleared out of forest and a home built 28 years ago by an elevator district manager who raised two girls here. Both had horses and they always had big dogs, based on the wear patterns in the lawn in one area.

One of the markers is wood, falling apart, you can't tell who/what it's for, but there are some remains of the original name.
The second grave is amazing. Marble with a beautiful picture of a German Shepherd lady dog with the
insignia "Our Guardian Angel". This must have been the dog the girls grew up with, who protected them way out there in the country, on a property completely surrounded by woods. (when I grew up on our farm with 70 acres of woods out the back door, as a kid, boy I knew the worst boogeymen came out of the woods at night)
The girls grew up and out, the parents got older into their late seventies and this place got too much for them.

So they left the dog graves behind. And I'm wondering what the proper thing to do with something personal like this. Do I offer to give them the memorial? (the parents live not too far away in a retirement community but with a home, but the memorial was from the girls I got the feeling) The wood one looks bad and is honestly in the way. The other one is set back, has a steel pipe driven in next to it to protect it, which sends me a message all by itself...

Makes me wonder what if someone had left a grave of a family member behind...but that's a little too weird here, we're talking a dog, a very beloved dog who protected these girls on this property. Should the memorial stay here? I'm sure not going to throw it out and I could very easily plant some small bushes around it, and, shall we say, let sleeping dogs lie...

now the good thing is that these graves are off to the side, smart of them. But what if I wanted to plant a garden here?

 

[KubotainNH]

If it was me, I would remove all the wood and put a flat stone on the rotted one just to mark it and a larger rock behind the other one. Someday those girls might come for a visit and want to look at it but that was 17 years ago so they could be well into there 30's now. Nice sentiment on the angel one, some tears were shed there.

 

[Mendonsy]

I would protect the areas and honor the memory of those dogs as KubotainNH has suggested.

 

[ray66v]

Relocating the markers nearby, creating a new memorial site would be a nice gesture too, if you really want to use that area.

I am sure their remains are all but gone by now.

 

[Buppies]

Would not want to disturb this myself would clean it up and keep it that way. Dogs though hold a special place for me as do all pets

 

[MossRoad]

Wow that sure is a nice marker... kinda sad they left it. I often think about pets left buried at my folks' house. Now we have a large acreage and we bury our pets there. It will be left in our family forever, provided there are heirs. However, if my kids don't have kids, then what happens.... I'll tell you what happens..... We'll all be dead. We won't know what happens to them. So, if you find something like this on your property, you can be kind and plant a bush by it and landscape around it knowing you won't feel guilty. If you contact the previous owners and ask if they want it, be prepared for either a kind thanks, a no thanks, or some outraged or upset person.

If it were me, I'd just landscape around it and as you said, let sleeping dogs lie.

 

[daugen]

thank you all. Actually I thought it looked kind of idyllic the way it was, in a woodsy way.
I also though about mulching a very small amount around it, plant some small shrubs, whatever.
And then I figured, just leave them alone, mow around them until the wood one falls down, then put a rock there.

I'll bring lots of rocks back from PA next time I go up that's for sure. Now I know what they mean by can't buy a rock.
Just none in the soil here. But I'm sure some in the landscaping nurseries have a rock or two they will sell me.
Funny, I grew up on Rockwood Farm. Just like it says. Three granite quarries within ten miles of our farm.
And now I can't just walk around and find a nice rock for the dog anywhere in the 22 acres I own.
Boy is that a change. But then, I can't wait until Spring and running the tiller. I might get it done without breaking
a shear pin now. All part of the adventure moving here.

I also wondered about the owner's privacy on something like this, but hoped we all would be smart enough not to post that stone info anywhere else on the internet. I just don't want to make public what should stay private, and maybe I already screwed that up. But I think the memorial was just lovely, and wanted to share it, as it speaks to love. Lot of love on this place I bet with those girls and their horses and dogs. Gives the land a good feeling.

 

[Walkin Horse]

I
Have buried two of my daughters horse in the last 3 years. Once the new wore off she never goes up there. I found a cement little girl statue and put her between the graves. I keep it lit with some solar lights.

On the other hand I buried a horse for a friend that belonged to one of his boarders. She was out of town when the horse coliced and died. I cleaned the site up and made it look nice so when she got back she could visit. Well she never has come by. But I keep it cleaned up and made headstones out of slate.

So I guess if you have the room and can keep it up its a good thing for you and the family. Or you could ask them if they would like the stone.

 

[amaxwell]

Would not want to disturb this myself would clean it up and keep it that way. Dogs though hold a special place for me as do all pets

Have two beloved dogs graves on my place now .I hope someone keeps mine clean and un-disturbed when I am gone.

 

[Pixguy]

As many have said Drew, I too would just landscape around it and not disturb it if it's not necessary. I agree with who said that if you need the space, just move it to the rough area and move on.

Our pets are like family and it'd be nice if they could be left to rest in peace.