The Narrows Pet Cemetery

The Narrows Pet Cemetery was established in April 1926 by Dayton veterinarian, Dr. Raymond H. Aull, on his farm in narrows (ravines) along the Stillwater River.  Dr. Aull died of a heart attack in April 1959, leaving the oldest pet cemetery in Ohio, and largest at the time.  The farm now contains over 14,000 pet remains across 6 acres, within 28 acres total.  Remains include dogs, cats, fish, monkeys, horses, birds, turtles, circus animals, police, military, service animals, and human.  Remains were sent here from as far as Florida, California, and Hawaii.

As still common with about every cemetery, covering the cost of long term maintenance was underestimated.  Human cemeteries are eventually maintained by tax dollars, but pet cemeteries don't have this option. The growing size of the cemetery made it increasingly expensive to maintain.  Previous management failed to pay taxes, mortgages, and even bury remains, leading to arrest of the cemetery owner in 1989 for health code violations.  Pets involved in mishandling have since been buried on site.  Given the cemetery was deep in debt, the cemetery then went through foreclosure in 1990, and again in 2000, operating similarly under a different owner, where records and maintenance funds were lost.  

A married couple, whose pets are buried in the cemetery, bought the property in 2001 from the bank that acquired it in foreclosure.  They removed the collapsing house, where someone was killed in doing so, and removed all other buildings on the property along with acres of brush.  The husband died and his remains were buried in the cemetery in 2003.  The surviving wife’s brother took care of it for over 10 years on top of a full time job at the family's expense.  It took him a full day to mow, and another full day to run the line trimmer around only some of the headstones.  After the 3rd lawn tractor broke, and the owner's health declined, the overgrowth claimed the rest of the cemetery.

In 2021, Ben Thrasher, MBA and Environmental Engineer for USAF, and Tessa Thrasher, RVT (Registered Veterinary Technician), already living next door on 10 acres since 2014, also once owned by Dr. Aull, bought the 18 acres containing the Narrows Pet Cemetery.  Ben and Tessa originally met volunteering at a cat sanctuary in 2009, and now have 2 kids, Jonah and Summer.  They, along with several other board members, founded the "Narrows Farm and Pet Cemetery", approved by the IRS in 2022, as a 501(c)(3) compliant, tax exempt non-profit public charity, to:

"Provide and maintain associated land, improvements, groundskeeping animals, and free public access for 14,000 graves acquired without care funds, including for police, military, and service animals.  Educate public about safer handling of remains."

To make the Narrows Pet Cemetery sustainable, it can not afford to operate like before, especially at the size to which it grew over time.  Prices must keep up with expenses and inflation.  Taxes are being cut as a 501(c)(3), which also provides a legally accountable platform for donations.  Grass powered groundskeeping, although a larger upfront investment and greater time dedication, reduce long term maintenance costs compared to the ever increasing labor and equipment costs for groundskeeping.  Imagine keeping up with mowing and trimming around 10,000 gravestones and 28 acres.  Well, the new staff see this kind of work as a luscious buffet.  Green leaves not only taste better, but are healthier, like a fresh salad, for the groundskeepers than just hay and/or grain in a barn, lacking fresh air.  They love their job at the Narrows Farm and Pet Cemetery!

Under the new management there is no debt on the Narrows Pet Cemetery property.  The Narrows Pet Cemetery does not receive tax support like government run cemeteries.  Being a 501(c)(3) does give the cemetery and donations tax breaks for providing a public service.  To legally protect the Narrows Pet Cemetery, including an 18 acre area, is deed restricted to pet cemetery use, which is kept on file with Montgomery County, making damage to cemetery property a felony, even by current and future owners.

Please consider donating to help reclaim the Narrows Pet Cemetery.

Headstones

We estimate there are around 10,000 headstones at the Narrows Pet Cemetery, many being plain/unmarked rocks.  Thousands of graves never had a stone and/or are not yet documented online, such as on Find a Grave.