Waking the Dead: Valentine's Pet Edition

I am not one of those people who eschews the conventions of Valentine's Day just because I have no valentine of my own.  I'm not so sure that I buy into the particularly consumer-driven aspects of February 14, but I think it's nice to take at least one day to remember why you love the people around you and to tell them the same.  

Many of my friends are extreme animal lovers and consider their pets members of the family, children, and in some cases, the loves of their lives.  Where else to explore the extent of this love rather than a land set apart and dedicated to the love shared between pets and their humans?  At the Los Angeles Pet Mortuary, the bond people have with the animals in their lives is very apparent; that love seemed to be a great theme for Valentine's Day this year.  Who better to represent this Valentine's theme other than Valentino, Rudolph to be exact.

Rudolph & Kabar

Kabar was bereft at Valentino's passing and let out a
blood-chilling howl at the exact moment of Valentino's
 death.  It is said that Kabar haunts the grounds of the cemetery.
(Source)

We've brought you so many celebrity graves, it seemed only fitting that we share some of the graves belonging to celebrity pets too.  At 85 years old, LA Pet Mortuary is the oldest, official pet cemetery in the Los Angeles area.  By consequence, it has a long list of Hollywood clientele.

Louise Dresser
An Indiana-born actress known for her sturdy
 frame and strong presence in silent films and early
 talkies; she even worked with Valentino in The Eagle.
(Source)

Toppy & Hoppy
(Source)

Chief Thundercloud and Sunny upstage
The Lone Ranger and Silver.
(Source)

It is rumored that Tawny, a star in the Tarzan movies,
 might have been one of the MGM lions as well.

Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) wrestles Tawny

Although I have no substantiation for my claim, I saw this plaque and
determined that "Bubsie" had to be the beloved pet (cat, dog, horse even)
 of Betty Grable and Harry James.  They got married in '43, so it's possible
 one of them brought the animal to the marriage.

Mr. & Mrs. Harry James
(Source)

This one wasn't recognized as the pet of a celebrity but its name linked it to Hollywood.
Given the premise of the film of the same name, the epitaph is uniquely ironic.

The Los Angeles Pet Mortuary is certainly home to many more celebrity pets including Charlie Chaplin's cat and one of Humphrey Bogart's dogs (with no map or directions, it was difficult to find any of the graves).  One notable grave that we looked for but could not find was Petey, the dog from The Little Rascals.  The attendant on duty was very helpful but explained that he was not allowed to give directions to specific graves, mentioning that Petey's was particularly difficult to locate.

We did find this marker with dates that indicate a dog who could've been
one of the dogs who played "Petey."  The odd spelling led us to believe
that this was a well-intentioned Petey lookalike - maybe a stunt-double. 

The Little Rascals with Pete the Pup

The grounds of the cemetery are sprawling, making it impossible to examine every grave in one short visit.  What I was particularly taken with were the headstones that we were able to see with photographs and portraits of the beloved family pets.

"Return to sender" - AWESOME!!! 

"Beloved little dictator"

I wonder if she saw what was coming.

Wasn't "Zebariah, My Little Lover Boy" a Janice Martin B-side?

I am glad that it said "favorite" instead of "only."

I have mentioned it before, but I am allergic, in varying degrees, to essentially every living creature on the earth.  Thusly, I was not raised around animals and my response to pets is very much like my childhood response to a dodge ball being hurtled at me in P.E. - I duck, I throw my hands up to protect my face, I cry, I panic, I go into shock - you know, the usual.  I hope this post does not seem insensitive, knowing that most people are blessed with an animal-loving gene, but I had a great time at the pet cemetery and could have spent the entire day roaming the grounds looking at the hilarious names and epitaphs; here are a few of my favorites.

I hope there is a "Cold Case" team ready to inspect unsolved pet deaths.
All I'm saying is that I am highly suspicious of a family that names their
pet "Yummy."

I'm also not sure how I feel about a pet being
named after a very serious medical condition.

No matter how old we get, "potty humor" will "always be in our thoughts" too.

Brewster???

Tiger
A Very Special Cat

"My dear sweet Tigy with big blue eyes
So sad and yet so wise
You acted as if you lived 10,000 lives
Proud as a king, brave as a lion
Never knowing an ounce of fear
You were always there to meet us
Always there to give your love
Asking nothing in return
But how you loved people
And all the tricks you learned to please them
You brought love and laughter
Into the lives of so many
You lovable ham who loved an audience
You thought you were just one of the crowd
And never really knew you were a cat
Often we look at the seat where you lay
Not believing that forever you've gone away
Oh how we miss our sweet boy
Without you the world
Has lost some of its sunshine
God will make
A very special place for you"

Penny, Chi Chi, and Princess - the other Andrews Sisters

"Mommy's 'Baby Dog'"

At first I thought "A spider monkey pal" was a humorous description
 of a pet's monkey-like behavior.  I realized then that with a lion as a
neighbor, it is entirely possible, probable even, that this was the final
 resting place of an actual spider monkey.

I'm always a fan of naming pets after much-loved television characters.
For a short time we had fish named Lucy & Ethel.

Can't you just picture a pirate cat with a wooden leg and an eye patch?

Jiggles gave me the giggles

Faux pas for no "Faux Paw," no?

It's a forgone conclusion when you set your dog up with a name like Humpi!

I was kind of wishing that we had taken a step into Who Framed Roger
 Rabbit? and that cartoon Droopy was buried here.

"Millionaire Droopy"

I was always under the impression that Snoopy was a boy.
As it turns out, she was "A lady who thought she was a people."

"Tooth Brushing" with Snoopy & The Peanuts Gang

Maybe my canine doppelganger???

It might be a little unconventional to celebrate the most "romantic" day of the year with images of a pet cemetery, but a wacky tacky Valentine's Day plays by its own rules!  Wherever you are, we wish you a very love-filled and Happy Valentine's Day!

Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park
5068 Old Scandia Lane
Calabasas, CA
(818)591-7037

www.lapetcemetery.com


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny