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www.durhamregion.com THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, NOVEMBER 27,2002 PAGE 3 Pet cemetery's final resting place for 3.000 animals 'It's a really nice way of saying goodbye' BY NATALIE MILLER Staff Writer CLARINGTON - The seven-year-old boy trekked through a field of tall grass behind behind his Orono home to the grave. His father carried the family pet wrapped in a quilted blanket. blanket. With his mother and younger brother at his side, the little boy threw the first shovel of earth on their beloved friend. Twenty-five years later, Peter Klose still fondly recalls the way his family paid tribute to Senta, a German shepherd, on an overcast and windy day in March 1976. "It's a really nice way of saying goodbye," says Mr. Klose. On a recent crisp November November day, he made his way through the same field that now contains memorials to more than 3,000 pets. Following Following the burial of Senta, friends who wanted to lay their pets to rest on the property approached approached the family. The Havelberg Pet Cemetery was opened to the public soon after. It's owned by the Kloses, who also have adjoining Jungle Cat World and the Havelberg Dog Academy. Amidst the evergreens scattered scattered on the three acres of land, a goldfish is buried, along with horses, rats, budgies and chickens. chickens. Those creatures share company with animals from the zoo that have died including including Pasha, the first exotic animal animal the family purchased in 1982. The lion died in 1997. Many tributes are made in a simple grave marker in the ground. Other pet owners honour honour their animals by creating elaborate shrines. A Christmas stocking filled with doggie treats is next to a life-size statue statue of a large canine that died in 1998. Plastic snowmen, plush teddy bears and a decorated artificial artificial Christmas tree surround his space, along with a humansized humansized bench adorned with rawhide bones. On another marker there's a picture of Jesse, a small dog with a thick fluffy coat and long ears. "A little dog with a big heart. He loved yellow balls, Frisbees, hot dogs, car rides and people," the inscription inscription says. Burial fees are $350 for small pets, dogs and cats and $400 for extra large animals. Some people bury their animals animals with favourite toys, blan kets and treats, while others include include time-capsule items including including newspaper clippings and photographs. People visit often. "For some people, that's all they have left in the world," Mr. Klose says. "A lot of people people just want to talk about it. They're in various levels of grieving." Since Mr. Klose was 16, he's been helping people put their animals to rest. Usually staff prepares the grave, but as tradition has it, the owners throw the first.shovel of earth on their pet. "It is a lot of work. But it's nice to do something for someone's someone's pet." Mr. Klose recalls how he felt when Senta, his first pet, died. Fie and his younger brother, Michael, used to emerge from their bedrooms in the morning and find her waiting waiting in the hallway outside their doors. Mr. Klose would lie down on the floor next to the dog and cuddle her. "When you are six or seven and the dog is no longer at the end of the hallway, that's traumatic," traumatic," he says. He adds the process provides closure for him. "We have a very practical outlook on dying," he says. "We want to bring animals back to nature." CUFF MILLS MOTORS 2©§2 [FWtiSse Sunfire'* faff £ A> Several To Choose From ,|.vn .on -, <4,-,. •4 DOOR, «AUTOMATIC • KEYLESS ENTRY • POWER LOCKS • REAR SPOILER • CD PLAYER • VARIETY OF COLOURS * LOW, LOW Km. •POWER WINDOWS (selected models) Only f 1 *1 oo 7 L È# fey F U ' U )\X' ^mii! 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