At one time, the tallest monument at Hartsdale Pet Cemetery in Westchester County, NY (the first, and oldest operating pet cemetery in the world) belonged to a Bulldog named “Grumpy,” the stone standing over six feet in height and featuring a bronze relief likeness of Grumpy. “His sympathetic love and understanding enriched our lives. He waits for us,” is engraved beneath his image.
“Grumpy” was adopted in 1912 by Henry and Martha Bizallion, Henry a rising star in the banking industry, and in particular, the Gotham National Bank which, through mergers and name changes, would later come to be known as Chase Manhattan Bank, and JPMorgan Chase Bank. Grumpy wasn’t a show dog, nor does history suggest that his pedigree was exceptionally impressive, but the Bizallions loved their dog dearly and felt that being a loved pet was remarkable enough. In 1914, they formed the Dog Lovers’ Protective Association of America to give protection to ordinary canines.
In 1916, Outdoor World Publishing Company included a brief paragraph on the organization seen at the right:
In time, the DLPAA would have over 1,000 members, some of them prominent (member, Agnes Rose Rossman, raised Maltese Terriers and had won a “Best in Show” at Westminster). It spoke out against bad legislation such as Wicks Law that required peace officers to kill dogs seen attacking or chasing sheep, fowl, or other domesticated animals, or when seen just roaming at large beyond its owner’s premises without wearing a mandated license tag. The association proposed an alternative bill that would make dogs the personal property of their owners giving them same status and protection as horses and cattle, and hold dog owners responsible through civil court action for damage done by their dog instead of killing it.
But we’ve digressed from poor Grumpy who passed on in 1926. Over time, the foundation to the tall monument to his memory weakened, the cemetery was forced to cut the headstone into two pieces lest it topple over and harm someone.
Grumpy’s story captivated us, in part, because of the Dog Lovers’ Protective Association of America early recognition that everyone from Best in Show winning dog owners to owners of “jes” dogs could work together to protect all dogs. It also appealed to us for revealing that there’s always a story behind a pet’s gravestone.
As an aside, as we head into the holiday season, we know that many of us like to donate to charities. We make our annual appeal that you donate locally, not to donate to HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) which donates less than 1% of the millions of dollars it takes in yearly, or to PETA which is no friend of dogs. Another idea is to consider the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery. The U.S. Department of the Interior added the cemetery to the National Registry of Historic Places making it the first and only animal burial ground to receive such distinction. The cemetery’s general maintenance fund isn’t enough to cover its costs, nor was it designed to do so. It’s not tax exempt from federal and state taxes, doesn’t get federal and state funding, and depends entirely on private donations. If this is something you’d consider, read more here.
Image found on Pinterest and happily credited upon receipt of information.