The hidden pet cemetery near Bishop, CA where highly elevated pets are laid to rest.
Our pets provide companionship, acceptance, emotional support, and unconditional love during the time they share with us. In return, we love them and consider them members of the family. So when that special relationship comes to an end it is only natural to grieve. Many of us find comfort by memorializing our beloved pet in a meaningful way. My family always had a pet cemetery (current one pictured) on our land when I was growing up. The ability to visit the grave of these cherished family members not only made the process of death easier for me to digest as a child but was also a sweet way to keep their memory alive.
Legal pet cemeteries also still exist and help bring solace to grieving pet owners who have recently lost a pet. The world’s oldest operating pet cemetery is in Hartsdale, New York. It dates from 1896, when a veterinarian working out of Manhattan offered to let a grieving pet owner bury her dog in his hillside apple orchard. Today, it is the final resting place for more than 70,000 animals. Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park in Calabasas, CA was founded and dedicated on September 4, 1928 and is one of the oldest facilities of its kind on the West Coast.
In cases where backyard burials or other legal options for burying pets don’t exist, you’ll often find what I like to call rogue pet cemeteries in places off the beaten path, like the one I visited out in the desert near Boulder City, Nevada. Started illegally and little known to outsiders, these rogue DIY pet cemeteries with their intricate handmade memorials are often driven more by emotion rather than technique.
On a recent trip through the Tungsten Hills near Bishop, CA, I came across yet another amazing hidden rogue pet cemetery.
Since information about this rouge pet cemetery is scarce, I’ll let my pictures tell the rest of the story.
While some of the dates listed on the memorials go all the way back to the nineties, most of them appeared to be more recent.
McGee Creek runs right through it.
I’m not sure how many acres it sits on but it’s pretty big.
For many families, burying their beloved pets has become a tradition, so it’s not uncommon to see similar looking memorials gathered around the same area.
Sweet Prince
While I have seen chickens and other varieties of animals buried at other pet cemeteries over the years, this one seemed to be largely filled with cats and dogs.
Sad Dog
Getting creative with tennis balls.
This was one of my favorites.
Bowls, toys, collars and tags seemed to be the most popular ways people chose to personalize their memorials.
Visiting places like this always renews my faith in mankind. The amount of love and creativity that goes into each of these memorials is an incredible thing to see. May all of our dearly departed pets rest in peace.
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