Pet cemetery blossoms into national significance

One off-the-beaten-path historic site to sightsee in the Great Lakes region is the Michigan War Dog Memorial, located in the community of South Lyon.

The site was first developed as a pet ceremony in 1936 by Dr. Steve Elkow, a veterinarian from Highland Park, Mich., near Detroit. He acquired approximately 80 acres of rural property at South Lyon, for the purpose of establishing a country farm.

Dr. Elkow and family generously carved out a 2.5-acre portion to serve as a burial ground for people’s pets, naming it the Happy Hunting Grounds Pets Cemetery.

Herein is the gravesite of one of the bravest military canines from the World War II era – Sgt. Sparks.

A Doberman pinscher, Sparks was born in 1939 and enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1943. He was shipped out to serve as a “scout and messenger” in the Pacific Theater.

Sgt. Sparks saw battle action on Bougainville Island in New Guinea, at Guadalcanal on the Solomon Islands and at Okinawa, Japan. His final station was on Guam in 1945.

Sgt. Sparks was discharged in 1946 and went home to Rochester, Mich., with his handler. Rochester is not far from South Lyon.

The dog was present to celebrate the dedication later in 1946 of a 16-ton granite war dog monument in the cemetery…and the official name change to the Michigan War Dog Memorial.

Sgt. Sparks died in 1947, and his master requested that the war dog hero be wrapped only in a blanket, like so many of his buddies on the World War II beaches…and interred at the base of the new monument.

Phil Weitlauf, who is the president of the war dog memorial organization, said the group is financed entirely by local residents and no tax dollars are involved.

Now, part of the old cemetery’s legend and lore is the story of Buddy, a “regular-Joe” pet dog that belonged to the Russo family, owners of a candy store in town. The tale was reported in 2006 by the South Lyon Herald.

The utility company meter reader’s notebook contained the notation “beware of dog.” Apparently, Buddy didn’t like having the candy store’s meter checked by this particular chap.

Hence, the utility worker requested the family keep Buddy away from the meter when he made his rounds. After Buddy died in September 1951, the meter reader “expressed his sympathy, scratched out the ‘beware’ note in his book…and went gleefully about his business.”

Not a minute later, the worker came running out of the candy store, screaming that the dog was still alive. It was all a ruse by the family’s pet parrot Paul – barking a perfect imitation of Buddy.

“After regaining his composure, the meter reader jotted down a new message in his book: ‘Beware of parrot.’”

As the Elkow family aged out and died off in the late 1970s, no one was left to keep up the pet cemetery property. It deteriorated from neglect.

Over time, ownership of the land transferred to Lombardo Homes, a residential development company. In 2013, CEO Tony Lombardo donated the cemetery portion of the property to the memorial’s board of directors.

The board was committed to “restoring the cemetery to its former grandeur and protecting these hallowed grounds,” said Weitlauf, an Army veteran.

Today, the South Lyon burial ground welcomes several classifications of “working dogs,” Weitlauf said.

“They’re our companions, and when you bond with a dog, that dog bonds with you for life. It’s totally unconditional love.”

Dagnabbit, y’all. That’s good stuff.