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NYC finds final rest for furry friends
A gravestone for "Boots" at the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery in Hartsdale, NY.
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Steve Chiotakis: Without a backyard, what happens to the deceased pets of apartment dwellers? In New York City, there's a market for it, as Steven Thrasher from The Village Voice reports.
Steven Thrasher: Losing a pet is never easy, but it's especially tricky when you live in a New York City apartment. What do you do when your pet dies?
Try calling 311, New York's information line, and you'll get this advice:
New York City 311 Operator: Basically, you can just dispose of the animal in a plastic bag, and on your garbage collection day you can place it out, and you can have the bag saying "dead dog."
Still, no surprise, most pet owners won't dispose of their dog or their cat with the trash. And more Americans are choosing to not have their veteranarian anonymously dispose of the remains.
About 10,000 pets are cremated and returned to their owners each year at the Pet Cremation Agency on Long Island. Owner James Aracria says pet cremation is not just for urbanites without yards anymore.
James Aracria: Years ago it used to be, "Hey Junior, dig a hole in the backyard and bury the pet." Haha. You know, it doesn't happen that way now. Pets have become so much more a part of families. The death aspect has become an industry.
So successful an industry, that his crematory is increasingly acting as a contractor for human funeral homes that now host services for pets.
Aracria: Funeral homes are trying to see if they can find a foothold inside the pet cremation business.
Walk into a pet funeral home and you'll find a suspiciously tiny altar and little urns adorned with halo-wearing puppies and kittens. But for funeral homes, pet cremation is a loss leader; they only get a couple hundred dollars per pet in most cases. They realize if they do a good job you when Fido dies, you might just throw your business their way when a loved one passes away.
Another option for city dwellers is an actual pet cemetery, like the one in Hartsdale that has been around for over a century. A professional pet burial will cost you at least $1,500. But according to overseer Ed Martin, many pet owners are more than willing to pay for peace of mind.
Aracria: They want a place that is permanent and forever, and that's why they come here.
Pointing to a headstone, Martin says all kinds of people bury their pets, some of whom likely have a backyard.
Aracria: Love M." M is for Mariah Carey. This is her plot here, and Clarence was her pet cat.
It might seem like a lot to put up a granite headstone for your pet when much cheaper options are available. But look just up the hill and you'll see a 10 foot tall, 50-ton mausoleum, constructed for a half dozen pets from just one family.
In New York, I'm Steven Thrasher for Marketplace.
Also reside on Long Island NY..Need help re: Popular Memorial parks[Pet Cemetary}buried our beloved"Duke" in 1974,in 1997 a letter was sent to the "Wrong Address" for Maintainence Fee's"we were in Fla at the time[89-98] my mother & I didn't know they had already dispossed of our "buried" DUKE! after almost 23+yrs of non communication suddenly a letter was sent,but not until "after",it was too late petcem.com{Julia Szabo ignored my plea {nypost] letter after reading her interview w/ the same Kathryn Lahn who was the employee at the time,at "BIDE-A-WEE" pet cemetary you see since 1998 i suspect they erected another location in Westhampton where she told me in 2002 "our "Duke" was moved to! This Kathryn Lahn treated me as if I should just dismiss the issue thus giving me her philosophy that "the body is just a shell" I told her "we didn't bury a shell" we buried the body,of our "DUKE!",his "body" has been "dug-up" by your incompetence! I'm an avid reader,Miss Lahn,as I am well versed in the spiritual realm of "life after death"..she told petcem.com{Jszabo] in an article the lenghths owners have gone to bury their beloved pets,she didn't tell Julia Szabo"we tell the owners "it is the soul"that lives on,& not the body"{us humans still respect the BODY}or there would be no need to "bury"our beloved pets,there would be "no cemeteries!"Recently I contacted[2010] the new manager[director] Wantaugh LI NY]Bideawee is in Westhapmton&Wantaugh]Mr.R.C told me "we looked & there's no such pet named "DUKE",anywgere! I told him Kathryn Lahn told me he was "moved" to Westhampton" but how could he have been "moved",if he's not there now..I know she lied,"DUKE" was never in Westhampton at all they never heard from us re:the 1997 bill for "FEES"{after 23 yrs!}perhaps the "Golf Course" has something to do w/ collecting this money!{I thought to myself] he offered a "plaque" I hadn't yet broke this news to my mother,but I was happy,re:this "Plaque",BUT after sleeping on it,then telling my mother we both realized Mr.R.C. was trying to "control a possible lawsuit as I hinted to him I was thinking of contacting my att'y]my mother didn't know it but I told him next day "forget it Mr.RayC.."what would it say "here on this beautiful tree stands a plaque to memorilize a Beloved pet "Duke" who because we sent the Fee Bill after 23+yrs to the "WRONG ADDRESS",is in heaven?"I think not!{i also know the "bill" wasn't such an amount,as to "DIG UP" a paid for PLOT! My mom told me "tell him to contact the last employeee Kathryn Lahn!"This nypost{petcem.com] article was all about Kathryn Lahn,still SZABO,JULIA at the nypost completly ignored my plea that she expose this injustice,Now I am calling a lawyer if I can find a honorable man as here where I live most of the time[Pa] the law-yers are terrible,my lawyer was the now Honorable Loenard {MI} Wexler{Central islip}Court] also Ronald Sussman[who shared the Association as partners in Smithtown L.I.NY]Practice had represented me in the 70's& 80's]also the Honorable Leonard Wexler was a friend of both my mother & I both as was Ronald Sussman! I NEED A REPORTER TO HELP ME SECURE A GENUINE LAW FIRM as I will not allow them to get away w/ LOOSING OUR BELOVED "DUKE" he was a guard dog from a facility on L.I. my mom bought him,but he was the preverbeal baby..at 6 yrs maybe as we had him only for the short time of 5 yrs he would be gone,{"Gone Too Soon".There were 5 of who attended his body on that cold december day,he would not be sharing Christmas w/ us,his red bow stayed on his bed,in the corner ready for when he'd return from the hospital[when we visted him for the 1st & last time he was so excited,the staff told us he was so good!Yes we attended his body as he lay there,the frost was glistening from his fur,I could still smell his fur,as I leaned in to caress his neck,my mother was so depressed,my now "X" husband still has "DUKE'S" picture above his fireplace!After the 2002 call to Bideawee Memorial Parks,Kathryn Lahn,I would not call agin until 2010,afterall what was going to change between 1997& 2002? When I pressed her for DUKE'S LOT# she never got back to me..I called again only to hear her tell me the same thing she "assured"me DUKE WAS IN "WESTHAMPTON"THEN said to me "JUST THINK<HE"S WHERE THE CELEBRITIES ARE!" Funny but her interview w/ Julia Szabo was a little more explorative than the "devoid of compassion with which she spoke to me!' If this were another pet belonging to a star{Miraih Carey}was mentioned as being buried at one of the famous cemeteries]article] if I were an "IMPORTANT" person,One would bet they'd have been IN THE NEWS Julia Szabo would have "jumped"on that story,but mine was ignored by nypost also the nydailynews{Elizabeth Lazarowitz{e-mailed her too!] Am I to believe there are Cover-Ups re reporting popular"PET CEMETETARIES} that"JUST LOSE ONE'S BELOVED PET?" These so called reporters are "cowards" keeping the truth from other's,we don't know if BIDEAWEE made other errors,do we? I've spoken to many friends,they told me "they'd never have allowed them to get away without exposing such an emotionally dusturbing issue such as "DIGGING UP AN OWNERS PET?" I will await someone to contact me,as I have written to other's re:this..I will never stop there is no "statute here,no limitations",I am past my limit so I'm doing this for both my mother&I as it is too much for her to face now,she's a strong woman who would have PAID anything[not the point] but for the record,she worked her entire life[hard] supported me alone,wrote a book,the 1st of it's kind,re:subject matter/expose'"Just Tip ME Mister!" by Cecilia Sacco Fusco][not rejected] unpublished]in 1978][another story she also writes for the Community News bringing some spiritual enlightenment[not dogmatic religion] Human Interest} which this stupid town needs,her articles{columns] have covered many {4] animal rights,"Dog's Deserve Better"..etc from the Pope's visit to the presidential campaign,,I am proud of her,& to tell you of her diciplined persona,she's not weak,re:not wanting to have pusued this]I DID!!for her& I!! also after 2002 call to Kathryn Lahn "DUKE" appeared to my mom[more to come] in her dreams,she knew in her dream "she hadn't fed him,it was as if DUKE was aan unrest,anyone who knows animals have a 2nd sight while they see "aura's",& will refuse to enter any room that is inhabited by evil spirits,for those who do question the unknown,the already known fact is animals are able to see,what we cannot..God made them perfect "no breed is a "bad breed",it is "MAN" who is the "evil breed",& so I thank you for this opportunity,please help us if you can contact me at 1-570-828-1725..343 ranchlands/Bushkill,pa 18324 Cecilia Sacco Fusco& Catherine jennifer-Fusco..I pray to God that,I will seek the "justice" this deserves! Oh yes the dream she had was 'symbolic",not being feed is easily associated w/ the soul,while being deprived,at the very same time I made that call..he would continue to come to us both& oftentimes we do indeed feel his presence,like it or not there's more to this life than the mundane,notion that nothing lives on! God Bless & Please help me find someone to represent me,contingency,advocate..That's the painfull message,for us,we're always "protecting evil",pretentous,comments from Kathryn Lahn should have been in her article rather than the lies she also the nypost's JULIA SZABO..the lie was her discompassion for "THEIR ERROR!"never once did she ever UTTER.."I"M SORRY FOR THIS TERRIBLE ERROR" & I know not one employee was ever FIRED for this like I said "there must have been other errors"
Also reside on Long Island NY..Need help re: Popular Memorial parks[Pet Cemetary}buried our beloved"Duke" in 1974,in 1997 a letter was sent to the "Wrong Address" for Maintainence Fee's"we were in Fla at the time[89-98] my mother & I didn't know they had already dispossed of our "buried" DUKE! after almost 23+yrs of non communication suddenly a letter was sent,but not until "after",it was too late petcem.com{Julia Szabo ignored my plea {nypost] letter after reading her interview w/ the same Kathryn Lahn who was the employee at the time,at "BIDE-A-WEE" pet cemetary you see since 1998 i suspect they erected another location in Westhampton where she told me in 2002 "our "Duke" was moved to! This Kathryn Lahn treated me as if I should just dismiss the issue thus giving me her philosophy that "the body is just a shell" I told her "we didn't bury a shell" we buried the body,of our "DUKE!",his "body" has been "dug-up" by your incompetence! I'm an avid reader,Miss Lahn,as I am well versed in the spiritual realm of "life after death"..she told petcem.com{Jszabo] in an article the lenghths owners have gone to bury their beloved pets,she didn't tell Julia Szabo"we tell the owners "it is the soul"that lives on,& not the body"{us humans still respect the BODY}or there would be no need to "bury"our beloved pets,there would be "no cemeteries!"Recently I contacted[2010] the new manager[director] Wantaugh LI NY]Bideawee is in Westhapmton&Wantaugh]Mr.R.C told me "we looked & there's no such pet named "DUKE",anywgere! I told him Kathryn Lahn told me he was "moved" to Westhampton" but how could he have been "moved",if he's not there now..I know she lied,"DUKE" was never in Westhampton at all they never heard from us re:the 1997 bill for "FEES"{after 23 yrs!}perhaps the "Golf Course" has something to do w/ collecting this money!{I thought to myself] he offered a "plaque" I hadn't yet broke this news to my mother,but I was happy,re:this "Plaque",BUT after sleeping on it,then telling my mother we both realized Mr.R.C. was trying to "control a possible lawsuit as I hinted to him I was thinking of contacting my att'y]my mother didn't know it but I told him next day "forget it Mr.RayC.."what would it say "here on this beautiful tree stands a plaque to memorilize a Beloved pet "Duke" who because we sent the Fee Bill after 23+yrs to the "WRONG ADDRESS",is in heaven?"I think not!{i also know the "bill" wasn't such an amount,as to "DIG UP" a paid for PLOT! My mom told me "tell him to contact the last employeee Kathryn Lahn!"This nypost{petcem.com] article was all about Kathryn Lahn,still SZABO,JULIA at the nypost completly ignored my plea that she expose this injustice,Now I am calling a lawyer if I can find a honorable man as here where I live most of the time[Pa] the law-yers are terrible,my lawyer was the now Honorable Loenard {MI} Wexler{Central islip}Court] also Ronald Sussman[who shared the Association as partners in Smithtown L.I.NY]Practice had represented me in the 70's& 80's]also the Honorable Leonard Wexler was a friend of both my mother & I both as was Ronald Sussman! I NEED A REPORTER TO HELP ME SECURE A GENUINE LAW FIRM as I will not allow them to get away w/ LOOSING OUR BELOVED "DUKE" he was a guard dog from a facility on L.I. my mom bought him,but he was the preverbeal baby..at 6 yrs maybe as we had him only for the short time of 5 yrs he would be gone,{"Gone Too Soon".There were 5 of who attended his body on that cold december day,he would not be sharing Christmas w/ us,his red bow stayed on his bed,in the corner ready for when he'd return from the hospital[when we visted him for the 1st & last time he was so excited,the staff told us he was so good!Yes we attended his body as he lay there,the frost was glistening from his fur,I could still smell his fur,as I leaned in to caress his neck,my mother was so depressed,my now "X" husband still has "DUKE'S" picture above his fireplace!After the 2002 call to Bideawee Memorial Parks,Kathryn Lahn,I would not call agin until 2010,afterall what was going to change between 1997& 2002? When I pressed her for DUKE'S LOT# she never got back to me..I called again only to hear her tell me the same thing she "assured"me DUKE WAS IN "WESTHAMPTON"THEN said to me "JUST THINK<HE"S WHERE THE CELEBRITIES ARE!" Funny but her interview w/ Julia Szabo was a little more explorative than the "devoid of compassion with which she spoke to me!' If this were another pet belonging to a star{Miraih Carey}was mentioned as being buried at one of the famous cemeteries]article] if I were an "IMPORTANT" person,One would bet they'd have been IN THE NEWS Julia Szabo would have "jumped"on that story,but mine was ignored by nypost also the nydailynews{Elizabeth Lazarowitz{e-mailed her too!] Am I to believe there are Cover-Ups re reporting popular"PET CEMETETARIES} that"JUST LOSE ONE'S BELOVED PET?" These so called reporters are "cowards" keeping the truth from other's,we don't know if BIDEAWEE made other errors,do we? I've spoken to many friends,they told me "they'd never have allowed them to get away without exposing such an emotionally dusturbing issue such as "DIGGING UP AN OWNERS PET?" I will await someone to contact me,as I have written to other's re:this..I will never stop there is no "statute here,no limitations",I am past my limit so I'm doing this for both my mother&I as it is too much for her to face now,she's a strong woman who would have PAID anything[not the point] but for the record,she worked her entire life[hard] supported me alone,wrote a book,the 1st of it's kind,re:subject matter/expose'"Just Tip ME Mister!" by Cecilia Sacco Fusco][not rejected] unpublished]in 1978][another story she also writes for the Community News bringing some spiritual enlightenment[not dogmatic religion] Human Interest} which this stupid town needs,her articles{columns] have covered many {4] animal rights,"Dog's Deserve Better"..etc from the Pope's visit to the presidential campaign,,I am proud of her,& to tell you of her diciplined persona,she's not weak,re:not wanting to have pusued this]I DID!!for her& I!! also after 2002 call to Kathryn Lahn "DUKE" appeared to my mom[more to come] in her dreams,she knew in her dream "she hadn't fed him,it was as if DUKE was aan unrest,anyone who knows animals have a 2nd sight while they see "aura's",& will refuse to enter any room that is inhabited by evil spirits,for those who do question the unknown,the already known fact is animals are able to see,what we cannot..God made them perfect "no breed is a "bad breed",it is "MAN" who is the "evil breed",& so I thank you for this opportunity,please help us if you can contact me at 1-570-828-1725..343 ranchlands/Bushkill,pa 18324 Cecilia Sacco Fusco& Catherine jennifer-Fusco..I pray to God that,I will seek the "justice" this deserves! Oh yes the dream she had was 'symbolic",not being feed is easily associated w/ the soul,while being deprived,at the very same time I made that call..he would continue to come to us both& oftentimes we do indeed feel his presence,like it or not there's more to this life than the mundane,notion that nothing lives on! God Bless & Please help me find someone to represent me,contingency,advocate..That's the painfull message,for us,we're always "protecting evil",pretentous,comments from Kathryn Lahn should have been in her article rather than the lies she also the nypost's JULIA SZABO..the lie was her discompassion for "THEIR ERROR!"never once did she ever UTTER.."I"M SORRY FOR THIS TERRIBLE ERROR" & I know not one employee was ever FIRED for this like I said "there must have been other errors"
Your story brought tears to my eyes. My pet Petunia died two years ago and was cremated with the utmost care and love on Long Island. It was the Cancer Clinic in NYC where she had been treated to take care of the cremation. A nurse even took an imprint in clay of her pow and wrote her name with beads. So it happens that the day she died - February 1 2007 - I had visited the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, one of the sweetest places I have ever seen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eNiOih-2yg
Your story is a jewel.
