Founded in 1947 by Earl and Julia Taylor, Pet's Rest serves pet lovers of San Francisco and the Bay Area. Pet's Rest is definitely the most unique cemetery in Colma. People from all over the world come to marvel at this monument of love for animals. We receive visitors on college sponsored tours as well as tour busses and individual visitors. Pet's Rest boasts more flowers and visitors attention than the surrounding 17 human cemeteries.
To date, over 13,000 pet animals have been laid to rest in this peaceful quiet setting of lawn, shrubs and trees. Pets buried here include dogs and cats, monkeys, cheetahs, and goldfish to name but a few. Monuments fill the landscape with testaments of devotion. Here, people come to visit and admire the resting places of pets owned by the rich and famous or just the folks next door. Some pets have extensive pedigree, some are mongrels, all were loved and are greatly missed.
The landscape and monuments are unique and unusual. People have chosen headstones that range from statues of hand carved Carrera marble or granite mausoleums to home made plaques. A visit to Pet's Rest is always an adventure in wonderment and awe. A most different cemetery and a fitting final tribute for a lifetime of devotion.
It is no surprise that we have had relationships develop between clients that range from friendship and carpooling to marriage. One almost never sees interaction in human cemeteries, but here, people have pictures and stories and share them readily. When I am asked by clients "Am I crazy for feeling this way?" I reply "if so, stay near, there is safety in numbers."
This tells the story of the difference between pet and human cemeteries. When Uncle Charlie dies you have to deal with him. People that bring their pets here go above and beyond the call of duty. Pets have the market cornered on unconditional love and their owners don't forget.
Founded in 1947 by Earl and Julia Taylor, Pet's Rest is now owned and operated by Phillip and Irene C'de Baca. On about two acres, Pet's Rest serves pet lovers of San Francisco and the Bay Area. Pet's Rest is definitely the most unique cemetery in Colma, People from all over the world come to marvel at this monument of love for animals.
Our Humble Beginning
Pet's Rest was started when Earl (then a Cypress Lawn Cemetery Employee) was influenced by numerous requests by people to have their pets interred in family lots at Cypress Lawn. Earl, along with Bill Belli, Julia Taylor, and Irene Frahm opened Pet's Rest late in 1946. They landscaped the grounds and built a crematorium on site. The first burial took place in early 1947.
Our Chapel
Earl and Julia converted a donated bee house from its original purpose into a small chapel. They went to Hunters Point and salvaged boiler pipe and fittings from old victory ships for use as a sprinkler system. Julia and the kids would make the pickups and Earl and Bill would do cremations and burials after their duties at Cypress Lawn.
News inquiries
We get inquiries from all over the world and have been the subject of many news articles and other media attention. We have been featured in "The Streets of San Francisco" and several international pictures and television programs. Whenever a new cub reporter has been reviewing the yellow pages looking for a story, they see our ad and expect a "real human interest story." We receive many requests for interviews and our cemetery is photographed on a regular basis.
We are now in our 60th year of service to the pet lovers of San Francisco Bay Area.