European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 19, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pago 16 the stars and stripes sunday. January 19. 1986 animal cemeteries coping with grief Over loss of a pet headstones Mark where several dogs Are buried Al the Pines Pel cemetery in Lebanon Ohio. By Randolph Picht associated press w Hen Rover is Laid to test in a Shady lol in a Pel cemetery his owner should nol return a Lew years later and find tangle of weeds or a last Loo restaurant. That s what the International pet cemetery association is trying to prevent now that More and More americans Are choosing to Bury pets in cemeteries. The group recently gathered in the upstate new York Community of West Rush to adopt a set of standards Lor association members that would cover everything even Down to the  says executive director or. Wendell c. Morse. Pet cemeteries have just evolved some in a Good manner and some in a bad manner he says. We re trying to make them More  use of pet cemeteries in the United slates is growing for several reasons. Chief among them say cemetery owners is that society is beginning to accept the loss of a dog or cat. Hamster or Snake As a grief filled experience. Morse a veterinarian Lor 22 years says. I can remember in my Early practice Days people would be very reticent to show any emotion Over the death of a pet. I think they thought people would make fun of  it s time that we pull up our Bootstraps and gel  says association president Thomas Lawton whose Pines pet cemetery in Lebanon. Ohio is approaching  Graves. Under the new standards pet cemeteries must to on dedicated land which Means the land cannot be used Lor anything but a cemetery. They also must measure at least five acres thereby eliminating backyard  in addition a pet cemetery owner will have to set up a permanent care fund to provide Lor grounds maintenance regardless of who owns the cemetery. There in t a thing in the standards that they can t do or Haven t done says Morse. These standards Are just to Jack them the members Upland Stylet  according to the association there Are 400 legitimate pet cemeteries in the United states at least one in every state. With some dating Back to the 1800s. There s a silent but steady growth in the use of pet cemeteries primarily because the grieving process when a pet Dies is More and More not being called stupid says James quack Enbusk an instructor Al the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Quackenbush a social worker in Penn s veterinary Medicine school spends his time helping people Cope with the death of a pet. He counselled 1.000 people last year. Lawton and Morse both cite changes in society and the increased attention Given the Bond Between pets and their owners As triggers for the growth in pet cemeteries. It has t Boon that Long ago that if you had a pet it did t sleep in the bed with you and eat out of the can it guarded the sheep or the barn or the cat killed the Roaches at your restaurant they were  Lawlon says. Today however pets take the places of babies spouses and friends. They soothe prison inmates cheer up the elderly and Provida companionship for Young single people. People have love and emotion and it s got to go somewhere and i think More of it is going into these