San Francisco Pet Cemetery

Monument To The Love People Have For Pets

The Presidio pet cemetery in San Francisco is a half-acre plot containing hundreds of military pets, mostly dogs and cats, but also including parakeets, canaries, pigeons, macaws, rabbits, hamsters, rats, lizards, goldfish, and mice. The cemetery is surrounded by a white picket fence and shaded by Monterey pines, and many of the grave markers mimic those found in official military cemeteries, often featuring the family names and ranks of the owners.

The origins of the cemetery are mysterious, with no existing records and legends ranging from burial grounds for 19th century cavalry horses to World War II guard dogs. The oldest markers date to the early 1950s, and the cemetery fell into disrepair in the 1970s before being tended to by an anonymous retired Navy man.

Today, the Presidio is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is managed by the Presidio Trust, a public-private government agency.

McDowell Avenue 667
San Francisco 94129 CA US
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