Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, 75 North Central Park Avenue, Hartsdale, New York is home to the War Dog Memorial.
In a letter to its plot-holders dated September 12, 1921 , the Cemetery described the structure to be erected as a “Rustic Boulder executed in the ‘Rock of Ages’ Barre Vermont Granite, surmounted by a heroic statue of a War Dog, Canteen and Helmet in bronze.†The letter further went on to characterize the monument as one “which will live for ages and be a reminder to our posterity of recognition of his (the War Dog’s) invaluable service.â€
Using the finest granite from his own Vermont quarry, Caterson created a majestic ten-foot-high monument with 10 tons of granite, which is topped with a bronze statue of a handsome shepherd dog, wearing a Red Cross blanket. At the shepherd’s feet are a bronze helmet and a canteen. A huge American flag waves proudly above. A simple inscription graces the memorial:
DEDICATED
TO THE MEMORY OF
THE WAR DOG
ERECTED BY PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION
BY DOG LOVERS. TO MAN’S MOST
FAITHFUL FRIEND FOR THE VALIANT
SERVICES RENDERED IN THE
WORLD WAR
1914 - 1918.
The War Dog Memorial was erected in 1923. The unveiling was attended by representatives of every nation that fought in the Great War.
The historic sculpture is listed in the art inventories catalog of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and is described as follows: “A German Shepherd wearing a Red Cross blanket stands on a rough-hewn boulder. The dog stands in an alert stance with head and ears perked up and tail extended nearly straight. A canteen and helmet lie below the dog’s front paws. The helmet has an indentation, possibly representative of a shrapnel hole.â€
Hartsdale Pet Cemetery is the final resting place for heroic war dogs such as “Chips,†the only American war dog to receive a military decoration on the battlefield for his valor, earning both the purple heart and the silver star. “Chips†served in World War II. During an invasion of Sicily, “Chips†stormed an enemy machine gun pillbox, cornering four soldiers. Later that night he helped capture ten more.