Columbus, Ohio: Brown Pet Cemetery: Sgt. Fleabite Smith, et al

Sgt. Fleabite's grave is located down the center walkway, on the right, under a clump of trees.

At first glance, Brown Pet Cemetery looks like a human cemetery, until you notice how small the gravestones are and then read the unusual names on them. I always thought that pet cemeteries were a phenomenon of the 1960s, but apparently they have been around a lot longer.

County records show that the pet cemetery filed for non-profit status on June 9, 1941, but the oldest grave I could find was dated 1925, so the cemetery has been here a very long time.

A lot of the older tombstones are toppled over, broken, or weather-worn, making them hard to read, but ones dated 1970 and later are mostly in good condition. Tombstones range from plain and simple to very elaborate with photos included. It's sad to see how many pets have died, but nice to know that at least the ones here were important enough to their owners to be buried here instead of in the backyard. There is even a grave for two ducks.

The Brown Pet Cemetery contains the graves of at least three animal Veterans: Muscles Reese, Cpl Pat Sheets, USMC, and Sgt Fleabite Smith, Army serial number K9-6668139.