The Long Riders' Guild

The Rosa Bonheur Memorial Park and Pet Cemetery

In 1935, the Rosa Bonheur Memorial Park was founded in Elkridge, Maryland as one of the world's first pet cemeteries. In 1979 the decision was made to allow owners to be buried next to their pets, which made national headlines.

Approximately 22,000 animals and 20 pet owners are buried at Rosa Bonheur Memorial park, including Gypsy Queen, Long Rider Frank Heath's horse, Loki, a Prince George's County Police dog, a 29 year old champion horse named Wiggles, Corporal Rex Ahlbin, a World War II combat dog who fought at Guadalcanal and Tinian, and Willie II, the beloved dog of former Governor and now Maryland Comptroller William Donald Schaeffer. 

Since 2002, when the former caretaker left, the Rosa Bonheur Memorial Gardens has been left unattended. The current owner says he can maintain the cemetery, but why should he when volunteers are doing it for him?

A concerned group of citizens will soon lobbying for a law that will regulate Maryland pet cemeteries, ensuring that Bonheur and all Maryland pet cemeteries will be maintained appropriately, and that pet owners will no longer be ripped off by high prices for funeral goods, or live in fear that their pets will be dug up and dumped, or neglected in their final resting places.

For more information, please go to the website of the people trying to help.

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