Animals

Can I bring my dog?

Yes. Your dog must be leashed at all times and remain on the paved roads. Owners are required to pick up pet waste and place it a trash receptacle (April – October) or remove it from the grounds (November – March). Failure to abide with these rules will result in barring you from visiting Erie Cemetery with your pet.

Loose pets are turned over to Animal Care and Control.

What wild animals roam the grounds?

All three of our cemeteries are home to many species of wild animals: raccoons, opossum, squirrels, chipmunks, skunks, rabbits, and deer, etc.... And of course, we have the ubiquitous geese!

These animals are wild and their health, safety, and long life depends on you:

• Do not attempt to touch, make friends with, or pet any animals.
• Do not allow your pets to interact with them.
• Do not let your pet off leash in any of our cemeteries.
• Do not feed any animals in the cemetery.
• Do not leave water faucets open for the animals. Wild animals are skilled in finding the water they need without drinking treated city water.
• Fishing is not permitted in any of the ponds or streams in the cemeteries.

Helping wild animals in these ways can be fatal to them:

• Delayed migration may leave migratory birds without adequate food on their journey.
• Animals that become accustomed to handouts from humans will lose their natural distrust of us — placing them at greater risk.
• Human food does not provide the nutrition these animals need, and may weaken them. This leaves them more prone to disease.

We are happy you enjoy the wild animals in our cemeteries — we do too!