Place to see: Presidio Pet Cemetery, San Francisco, California, United States

About this place:

Charmingly bounded by a white picket fence and Monterey pines, the Presidio Pet Cemetery is an evocative testament to the love between man and beast. The origins are murky. A pet cemetery is not unknown on an Army base, but there are no existing records for the Presidio's pet cemetery. Legends suggest its genesis is as the burial grounds for 19th century cavalry horses or World War II guard dogs. The oldest markers date to the early 1950s, when the Presidio was under command of Lt. General Joseph M. Swing, and some give him credit for the authorization of the pet cemetery. Most pet owners don't recall any particular Army regulations for pet burial; they simply found a suitable spot for their pet's final resting place.

In the 1970s the cemetery fell into disrepair. Legend tells of an anonymous retired Navy man who became its guardian. He tended to the deteriorating headstones and repainted the fence. It is believed that he placed the military-style cautionary sign seen at the cemetery entrance today.

With the reconstruction of Doyle Drive on the horizon, its future is in peril.