Headstone - Presidio Pet Cemetery

The pet cemetery is badly in need of some TLC but I was delighted to see that it is being preserved during some construction and that there are plans to restore it.

"The Presidio Parkway project is taking special care to protect the beloved pet cemetery which has been designated an environmentally sensitive are and is maintained as an important cultural landmark."

"The pet cemetery is situated directly below the new, southbound bridge currently under construction.  In order to protect graves like those of Willie and hamster and Buddy the bird, falsework (temporary structure used to build the new bridge) has been installed to span the entire length of the cemetery.  To support the long span, 105-foot long beams were placed across the cemetery and covered to prevent debris from entering."

"Grave markers in the pet cemetery date back to the 1950s, when the Presidio was home to hundreds of Army families.  Though there are no official records regarding the site, the cemetery is known to be the final resting place for fish, birds, dogs, hamsters, rabbits and cats.  Numerous legends surround the cemetery, which some believe was originally a burial ground for nineteenth-century calvary horses or WWII guard dogs."

This is one of my favorite places to visit in San Francisco.  

See extras for a few more pictures.