Paris Dog Cemetery

Back about fifteen years ago, on my first visit to Paris, I was surprised at how totally the Parisians included their dogs into every day life. We saw dogs in restaurants, sitting in their own chair at the table, dogs in stores, dogs in museums, and lots of dog crap all over the sidewalks, which didn't seem to bother anyone. So I wasn't surprised now, when I just recently learned that Paris's Cemetery of Dogs, Le Cimetière des chiens d'Asnières-sur-Seine, is thought to be the world's oldest public pet cemetery. In June, 1899, digging began on a narrow parcel of riverfront land in Asnières-sur-Seine. The new cemetery opened for business that summer, and over the years more than 40,000 animals have been buried in the Cimetière des Chiens--not just dogs, but also cats, a racehorse, a lion, a monkey, and domestic animals such as rabbits, hamsters, mice, birds, and fish. Paris for Visitors has visitor information and captioned photos of the Le Cimetière des chiens d'Asnières-sur-Seine. They recommend a visit for anyone who's fond of animals -- and especially for families with young children, who may find a pet cemetery more interesting (and less overwhelming) than the great human nécropoles of Paris. Here's a video accompanied by haunting Edith Piaf vocals. Source (via Smartdog's Weblog)