Something Different in Paris

Even though I had heard that there was a pet cemetery on the outskirts of Paris, I was more interested in walking around the cemeteries for people, like Père Lachaise and Montmartre. It was only after a friend talked me into going with her to the pet cemetery that I wondered what had taken me so long.

It isn't that difficult or that long of a Métro ride to get there—just take a short walk from the end of line 13 in Asnières to find the Le Cimetière des Chiens D'Asnières-Sur-Seine. It's in a fantastic location right on the Seine and, although most of the tombstones are very small, it does have the feel of the typical French cemetery. As All Saints Day had occurred a week before my visit, the cemetery was full of yellow chrysanthemums, a custom in France. People had visited the graves of the pets here just as families visited departed relatives in all cemeteries across France.



There was a sweet feeling about the place as well as some melancholy. I think I would have felt the same if it had been a cemetery for children. To the owners of these pets, their animals were their children and we came upon graves with tiny miniatures of animals on them or old chew toys. One dog's grave had a hollow plastic ball full of old tennis balls that he must have loved to play with. There were photos of the pets and names like Fifi or Susan. One grave had written on it: "I have been mistreated by other people, but never by Gaston, my friend, who loved me unconditionally."



At the entrance to the cemetery stands a huge sculpture with the carving of a Saint Bernard carrying a child on its back. The dog represented is Barry, who saved the lives of 40 people in the Alps before he lost his own life attempting a rescue for the 41st time. There is also a large tombstone—with a statue of a German Shepherd Statue on top—that memorializes all of the police dogs who die in action. The grave for Rin Tin Tin had me puzzled until I did some research and found that the original Rin Tin Tin (a French cartoon name, by the way) was taken to the States by an American soldier and the rest is history




Not only dogs and cats are buried here; there are also tombstones for three horses. I was surprised to see a stone for a rabbit and also one for Cocotte, a chicken said to have lived for 25 years and to have been a wonderful companion.



My friend and I are both cat lovers and so we loved seeing the many cats that live among the tombstones. (They do other things among the tomb stones as I discovered when I got home and traced a horrible smell to the bottom of my shoe). Most of them were tame and friendly-looking; one could pet them or feed them, and they managed to weave their way around our legs as we wandered around. While we were there, some ladies came and fed some of them. We overheard one saying her cat had recently died and she came to the cemetery twice a week to walk around. It brought her comfort.
Would I recommend a first-timer to Paris visit this cemetery? Not really, as I think Père Lachaise and the Montmartre cemeteries should be seen first. But, if you have been to Paris several times, and you are a pet lover, I think this would fill the bill for something different. I found it to be a very pleasant way to spend the afternoon.



Nearby, we found the restaurant, Le Père Lamotte. It looked very plain on the outside but served some very great-tasting food. I had a salad, baked fish, 2 vegetables and a soda for 13€. Additionally, there were also some interesting shops on the streets selling Middle-Eastern spices, fabric and housewares.

Le Cimetière Des Chiens
4, pont de Clichy
92600 Asnières-sur-Seine
Restaurant au Père Lamotte
23, Bd Voltaire
92600 Asnières