Paris
Cimetière des Chiens: The Pet Cemetery of Asnières-sur-Seine
June 2015
Opened in 1899 in Asnières-sur-Seine, northwest of Paris, the Cimetière des Chiens et Autres Animaux Domestiques—the Cemetery of Dogs and Other Domestic Animals—is one of the earliest surviving modern pet cemeteries. Marguerite Durand, a journalist and women’s-rights advocate, and Georges Harmois founded it after a French law of June 21, 1898, authorized the burial of animal remains. Architect Eugène Petit designed its Art Nouveau entrance and a garden cemetery originally divided into sections for dogs, cats, birds, and other animals.
More than 800 graves line its paths, ranging from simple markers to miniature tombs and sculpted memorials. Despite the cemetery’s name, animals buried or commemorated there include cats, birds, rabbits, horses, and other companion animals as well as dogs. Carved portraits, photographs, flowers, toys, and personal inscriptions document the lasting relationships between people and their animals.
One monument bears the name Rintintin and was long presented as the grave of Rin Tin Tin, the German Shepherd that became a Hollywood film star during the 1920s. Research published in 2024 indicates that the grave instead belongs to another German Shepherd of the same name that appeared in French films.
Current Context
The cemetery remains active and is managed by the municipality of Asnières-sur-Seine. Protected for its artistic, historical, and picturesque importance since 1987, it received the regional Patrimoine d’intérêt régional designation in 2023.
