The History and Afterlife of Erie's Only Pet Cemetery

Erin Phillips

The Hearthside pet cemetery has a number of features that help define it like the hearth namesake, the mini-mausoleum, and a number of memorial benches and statuettes. The cemetery was established in the 1950s to fill a need in Erie, for folks to have a final resting place for their beloved pets, and one that honors their memories.

It's something we always know is coming — when you adopt a pet, you're signing up for eventual heartbreak. But the time we get to spend with that animal, knowing it is so finite, is so special. There is a bond between pet and owner that goes beyond the day-to-day — it is true, non-judgemental, unconditional companionship and when we eventually lose that pet — the grief can be as real as any human loss.

When a human being dies, there is the comfort of tradition to help us move through the steps of grief — the funeral, the burial, and the ability to visit a monument or gravesite when one feels the need to reflect on a loved one's life; it provides a sense of closure. Often, the burial and memorializing of a pet is less formal — a backyard gravesite or a cremation provided by a local animal shelter. Humans have been burying animals for millennia — the oldest known pet cemetery, mainly used for cat burials, was found in Egypt dating between the first and second century CE. Archaeologists have found canine remains that were buried with humans in Siberia from over 8,000 years ago. It is in our DNA to mourn and memorialize our companion animals.

In 1949, there was a sentimental confessional published in the Erie Times News from someone who found a deceased dog on the road. The citizen named B.D. Moon lamented, "The dog lives a good life, and a faithful one, but they still have to die in time and it seems to us a little bit kinder to make arrangements for their final resting place when the time comes." The story came with the headline, "No Place For Erie's Dead Dogs: Every Canine Has a Day-To Die" with the subhead, "What the city needs is a 'bow wow heaven;' something complete with flowers and markers."

Erie County wouldn't truly have a solution to Moon's request for nine more years when the Hearthside Pet Cemetery broke ground, so to speak, in 1958. Built to fill a community void, local veterinarian Art Paavola heard the requests, over and over, from his patients' owners at Erie Animal Hospital (the practice he established) for a place to lay their beloved pets to rest. And so, for that reason, Dr. Paavola created Erie's first and only official pet cemetery. In an Erie Times News article from 1978, the writer noted, "Amidst the rolling hills of Elk Valley in McKean is an acre of meticulously kept lawn surrounded by blue spruce that is resting place to more than 500 household pets."

At the time, Hearthside was one of just 400 pet cemeteries nationwide, and according to Paavola, only about 1 percent of pet owners choose to bury their pets in an established cemetery, but the need was enough that he felt called to create one. In the 1978 interview, Paavola noted that those who seek out the cemetery come from all walks of life, "Pets of poor people, judges, doctors, even ministers, are laid to rest here."

The namesake of Hearthside Pet Cemetery is a free standing hearth memorial visible from the road. (Photo: Erin Phillips)

Additionally, Paavola notes that part of the reason he created the cemetery was personal: "The pet cemetery gives me a lot of personal satisfaction since most of the deceased pets belong to friends and clients, and after taking care of an animal for 10 to 15 years, and nursing it through various illnesses and injuries, I, too, get attached to them. I could give you a life history of most of the pets buried there."

Eventually, Paavola's sons Jeff and Tom took over operations at Hearthside and in November of 2022, the project left the Paavola family for the first time in its history when it was purchased by the Farrar family. For Jennifer Farrar, the decision to purchase the property and carry on the tradition was also personal — her family had a plot in the cemetery for their dog Jack, who tragically passed away very young from liver failure after eating a poisonous mushroom.

The cemetery provided comfort to their grieving family. Farrar comments, "It was very traumatic and the former owner of Hearthside, Tom Paavola, was so kind and comforting helping us lay Jack to rest." She continues, "I knew how much it meant to my young sons to feel their puppy was buried in a beautiful place that we could visit. When it (Hearthside) became available, we felt we could help other families through the difficult time of losing a pet."

Hearthside Pet Cemetery is a unique place. Nestled off of Rick Road in McKean Township, it is sunken down from the road and wooded on three sides — a peaceful, pastoral area. The titular "hearth" memorial is visible from the road, as are some other features like a gazebo, a decorative fire hydrant, stone benches, and a mini-mausoleum.

The mini-mausoleum at Hearthside has an interesting history, and now serves as a monument housing the cremated remains of upwards of 100 pets. (Photo: Erin Phillips)

The story behind the mausoleum is an interesting one. A newspaper article from 1983 noted that the marble mausoleum was purchased by Dr. Paavola that same year but the "two and a half ton pillared structure" had been on display in the (then) Mason Memorial Studios (3830 W. 26th St.) showroom for the past 48 years.

Originally the mausoleum was built by the Vermont Marble Company for their exhibit in the 1933-34 "Century of Progress" World's Fair in Chicago. A year after the fair, Erie's Herbert Mason acquired the mini-mausoleum. When Paavola purchased the structure, he modified it to be a "mini-tomb" to house the cremated remains of pets. It still stands on the grounds of Hearthside today.

One can't help becoming a bit misty as one walks through the cemetery grounds — some families have multiple pets buried in plots with sentiments etched on the gravestones like, "He was a good boy." Farrar notes, "It's incredible the care and attention that people pay to their plots for years and decades after their pet passes away. Each week when we are there we will note plots that people have weeded, added mulch, added a seasonal flower or pinwheel. It's an incredible testament to the bond that people forge with their companion animals."

The true identity of the Bonzo buried at Hearthside is up for debate. Regardless, the chimpanzee's memorial at Hearthside often draws visitors to the site. (Photo: Contributed)

One etched sentiment on a particularly notable grave in the cemetery reads, "He made us laugh." This gravesite belongs to a chimpanzee named Bonzo. The story goes that this particular Bonzo (there were a few) may have spent some time in Hollywood, but was actually not the famous chimp that starred alongside Ronald Reagan in the 1951 film Bedtime for Bonzo. This Bonzo, famously buried in Hearthside, was retired from the movie industry and was coming through Erie with a traveling circus when he fell ill and was treated by Dr. Paavola at Erie Animal Hospital. Unable to save the chimp, he kindly offered to bury him at Hearthside. Farrar regularly receives inquiries from people about the gravesite of Bonzo — it's something that often draws visitors to this corner of Erie County.

Today, Farrar notes that the care of Hearthside is a true family affair, "My 17-year-old son James and I are officially co-owners. He has wanted to have his own business since he was in elementary school and has always helped many friends, family, and neighbors take care of their properties. When Hearthside was for sale, we discussed that it would be a chance for him to finally have a property of his own to help care for. My other son, Anthony, and my parents also pitch in with some mowing, trimming, and property clean up on occasion as well."

Purchased by the Farrar family in 2022, the maintenance, upkeep, and continuation of the Hearthside Pet Cemetery is truly a family affair. Co-owned by Jennifer and her teenage son James (right), his grandmother (left) and other family members are always willing to pitch in to help keep the cemetery beautiful. (Photo: Contributed)

While some may associate pet cemeteries with the folklore perpetuated by Stephen King in the 1980s, Farrar and family have never experienced anything even remotely considered spooky at Hearthside and, she notes, "We are lucky that people have generally been very respectful of the property, other than the occasional litter." Aside from a note in the newspaper in 2003 when police responded to a report of "numerous individuals found engaged in a party where minors were consuming alcohol," at the site, there has been no report of any reanimated animals (or human beings for that matter) in the slightest.

Hearthside Pet Cemetery is purely a place of comfort and solace, giving families an opportunity to memorialize their pets, provide a permanent place for them to rest, and stand as a monument to a different kind of history — a history of humans and their animals — the bond they share, and that unconditional form of love that, if you're lucky enough to experience it, you know is worthy of remembering.

For more information on Hearthside Pet Cemetery, their services, and their story, visit hearthsidepetcemetery.com or email hearthsidepet@gmail.com

Erin Phillips got to share a few (too short) beautiful years with her buddy Tank, a chocolate lab who was the absolute goodest boy. She can be reached at erin@eriereader.com