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Lad's grave.

Grave of Lad, a Dog

Field review by the editors.

Wayne, New Jersey

Died 1918

Pet Cemetery.

America's first dog celebrity is buried on an old estate named Sunnybank -- now a small park -- on the western shore of Pompton Lake.

Sunnybank was the estate of Albert Payson Terhune, a man of the Leisure Class. When he wasn't busy being rich, he raised purebred collies and wrote books. It was this fortunate combination of professions that made Lad famous.

Terhune wrote dozens of novels about his dogs, beginning with, "Lad, A Dog," about his first collie. This proved so popular that other books quickly followed, such as, "The Further Adventures of Lad," and, "Lad of Sunnybank." A generation of children, many who are now dead themselves, loved Lad. The permanence of print kept Lad as a pop culture touchstone well into the 1960s, when his name was parodied by the lumbering sheepdog "Laddadog" in the sitcom, "Please Don't Eat The Daisies."

Lad's small, dark marble slab is flush with the ground, off to the left at the bottom of what once was Sunnybank's main driveway. It reads:

Lad
Thoroughbred In Body and Soul
1902-1918

Why a damp, ignoble spot for a hero dog? Fans of Terhune tell us that it was Lad's favorite resting place; the author describes it in his books. Less-famous Terhune dogs are up on the hillside, where the drainage and view are better.

Also see: Celebrities | Roadside Pet Cemetery

Grave of Lad, a Dog

Terhune Memorial Park

Address:
Terhune Drive, Wayne, NJ
Directions:
Terhune Memorial Park. Entrance is on the west side of US Hwy 202/Terhune Drive at Lamoureux Lane. Lad's small, dark marble slab is flush with the ground, off to the left at the bottom of what once was the estate's main driveway.
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