Pets Gone but Not Forgotten at Cemetery

‘Every holiday--I never miss. They meant too much to me.’

A Christmas tree, covered with ornaments, stood by Duke’s grave Wednesday. A miniature Nativity scene decorated Tiger’s final resting place. A jovial, plastic Santa Claus watched over Mitzi’s marker.

Death did not exclude several of the animals buried in the Pet Haven Memorial Cemetery and Crematory in Carson from being a part of the Christmas celebrations of their surviving owners.

“This is a time for remembering loved ones,” cemetery spokeswoman Irma Smith said, “and for many people, pets are a part of the family.”

Francis Sharvat visited Pet Haven Christmas morning to leave a potted plant near the markers of his poodles, Julie, Puff and Metta.

“Every holiday--I never miss,” said Sharvat, a Los Angeles hairdresser. “They meant too much to me.”

Nearby, a man and woman were digging with spades as they prepared to plant a small Christmas tree. Another couple was arranging cut flowers around a gravesite. Only a gray cat that licked herself as she lay on the marker of a dog named Duchess seemed unaffected by the Christmas sentiments.

The holiday season is such a bustling time at Pet Haven that the cemetery floodlights are left on until 9 p.m. for the convenience of evening visitors and passersby, Smith said. Many owners leave wrapped presents at the gravesites as well as real candy canes.

Open since 1948, Pet Haven contains the remains of about 22,000 pets.

‘Don’t Discriminate’

“We don’t discriminate against any type of animal,” said Smith, explaining the presence of a smattering of monkeys, horses, snakes, hamsters, goldfish and white rats among the predominantly canine and feline population.

This being Southern California, the interred include a performer, Lady, who was Little Joe Cartwright’s horse in the “Bonanza” TV series, as well as the pets of such celebrities as comic Jerry Lewis, actress Ava Gardner, the late actor Edward G. Robinson and the late mobster Mickey Cohen.

“I saw Jerry Lewis and his children here one time,” Sharvat recalled as he stroked a Shih Tzu he was “baby-sitting” for his aunt. “They were burying one of their dogs at the same time I was burying Puff. . . . The interesting thing was that Puff was given to me by Doris Day. (Day) is with an animal group and after my first dog died, she found out and phoned me at my shop to tell me that Puff needed a home. When my secretary told me who was on the line, I didn’t believe it. I said, ‘Tell her that Clark Gable’s too busy to come to the phone.’ (The secretary) said it did sound like Doris Day, and it was.”

Knows Other Owners

Sharvat visits the cemetery so often that he’s become acquainted with some of the other owners of deceased pets.

“See that tree over there?” he said, pointing to a 12-foot flocked Christmas tree. “A lady has eight poodles buried there. She’ll be in later today to decorate it. Now over here, is a grave for two chimpanzees. They were owned by a lady who just loved them. Actually only one (chimpanzee) is in there. The other was kidnaped and she never saw it again.”

Before leaving, Sharvat cast one last look at the markers for his poodles.

“Well, animals get old, too,” he said sadly.