No pets buried, only loyal pet owners: Woodlawn Cemetery tour for borough animal lovers
BY Tanyanika Samuels
DAILY NEWS
Dog-lover/cartoonist Frank Bellew Jr's grave site. Bellew's father was the illustrator who drew 'Uncle Sam.'
Dr. Samuel Johnson, the founder of the nation’s oldest pet cemetery,
is at rest in a private mausoleum at Woodlawn, not far from several of his most notable clients:
dancer Irene Castle, the Princess who buried her lion Goldfleck,
and Tony LaMura who built a matching mausoleum for his dog Sandy.
There's the eclectic Hungarian princess who had a pet lion cub named Gold Fleck.
Then there's the legendary dancer, Irene Castle, who doted on her many animals, including her pet monkey.
Their stories are just some of the highlights lined up for Woodlawn Cemetery's Animal Lovers Tour this Sunday.
"It's a quirky little tour," said Susan Olsen, director of historical services.
The tour, which is a first, will explore the stories of those who honored their animal friends with monuments at the Bronx cemetery at E. 233rd St. and Webster Ave., or with special burials at Hartsdale Pet Cemetery.
New York State prohibits people from being buried with their pets, so there are no pets buried at Woodlawn, Olsen said.
Subsequently many of Woodlawn's wealthiest lot owners buried their beloved furry friends in Hartsdale.
"It turns out, we have a huge connection with the pet cemetery," said Olsen, who will lead Sunday's tour. "So we'll be visiting the graves of many of Hartsdale Pet Cemetery's famous pet owners."
Among the other highlights will be a stop at a mausoleum for Sandy, a beloved little dog who could often be seen scampering through the Woodlawn grounds.
The 400-acre Bronx cemetery, established in 1863, is the final resting place of many historic figures, including the Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz; jazz greats Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton, and the Macy's department store founder Isidor Straus, who died in the sinking of the Titanic.
Friends of Woodlawn Cemetery hosts several popular tours throughout the year.
Upcoming events include the Autumn Leaves Tour at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25; the History and Mystery Tours from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1, featuring the graves of notorious figures as well as tales of tragic events; and the Westchester Legacy Tour on Nov. 8 featuring the graves of several historic Westchester County figures.
Animal Lovers Tour
2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 18. Enter at the Jerome Ave. Gate (near Bainbridge Ave.)
Cost: $10 for adults; $5 for seniors and students. Children under 6 are free.
For reservations, call (718) 920-1470 or e-mail friends@thewoodlawncemetery.org.
Greenwood Cemetery has buried dogs for people:
A FAITHFUL DOG'S FUNERAL
NEW YORK TIMES,November 25, 1879
AN OLD HOUSEHOLD PET BURIED IN GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=980DE1DA1738E23ABC4D51DFB7678382669FDE