One of the earliest animal cemeteries in the world is located in France and is notable for being the resting place of a monkey, among other animals. Opened in Asnières-sur-Seine in 1899, the dog cemetery reflects a growing emotional bond between humans and their pets during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Situated on the left bank of the Seine, near the Clichy bridge, the cemetery features chrysanthemums, sandstone steles, and quiet visitors who come to pay their respects. Tombstones bear names like "Cookie," "Minette," "Crapule," and "Coquillette." While dogs and cats are the most common, the cemetery also holds the remains of horses, fish, birds, rabbits, hamsters, turtles, and even a monkey. Maurillia, an 80-year-old woman, has been visiting the cemetery for 17 years, since the death of her dog Elvis. She tends the flower beds and helps restore color to the graves of other animals. She recalls the vibrant displays of flowers that once filled the cemetery, saying it resembled the funeral of a human. She has placed three black marble hearts on the grave of her "babies," the last one buried in September 2022. When asked if she believes the animals feel her presence, she nods firmly. The cemetery did not exist 150 years ago. The area was once an island on the Seine where ragpickers collected discarded items, including the bodies of stray dogs. In the mid-19th century, stray animals were common in urban centers, and concerns about public health led to calls for better management of animal remains. At that time, dogs were not seen as family pets but as working animals. This perception gradually changed, helped by the creation of the Society for the Protection of Animals (SPA) in 1845 and the Grammont law in 1850, which criminalized animal cruelty. In 1898, a law required that domestic animals be buried under a layer of earth at least one meter thick. In 1899, lawyer George Harmois and journalist Marguerite Durand took advantage of this law to create a resting place for dogs, who were now seen as companions in both joy and sorrow. The cemetery was established on the island of the Ravagers, which was separated from Asnières by a branch of the Seine. While not the first of its kind—London had a dog cemetery in Hyde Park, established a decade earlier, and New York had the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery in 1896—the Asnières cemetery became very popular. By 1958, 40,000 animals had been buried there, including a plaque commemorating the 40,000th, a stray dog that died at the cemetery's gate. Notable animals include Rintintin, the star of American cinema, and Moustache, a dog who died in the Napoleonic Wars. The cemetery also honors trench mascots and police dogs.