Silver Spring, Maryland: Rumored Grave of Petey, Little Rascals Dog

Several dogs played Petey in the Little Rascals movie serials. This well-known grave may be a false Petey, a claim started by a prior cemetery owner.

We planned a stop at this pet cemetery during our jaunt through Maryland this past weekend. My girl being a devoted Lil' Rascals fan, I wanted to show her General Grants' marker. The Sunday we arrived was brisk and rainy, perfect graveyard weather. We spent almost two quiet, reflective hours wandering through the grounds and absorbing the history and devotion of this amazing place. Some graves date back to the early 1900's and are nearly wore away with erosion, a few are impressive even by human standards, and most are just picture-perfect decaying monuments to the love you can have for your dog (and, yes, I suppose ...even a cat.)

We even met the caretaker, who was a charming fellow straight out of Central Casting for 'pet cemetery grounds keeper'. He graciously walked around with us a told some stories and pointed out things we would have never noticed on our own. Not an official tour, but very appreciated nonetheless!

Aspin Hill Memorial Park, Silver Spring, Maryland, a pet cemetery where over 40,000 beloved companions are interred, will be the site of the National Pet Hall of Fame. Scheduled to open for visitors on October 1, 2005, the Pet Hall of Fame is a project of the Chesapeake Wildlife Sanctuary.

Visited the Aspin Hill Pet Cemetery last week in Silver Spring, MD. I had not realized it's as big as it was. The earliest marker date I saw was about 1927. Some homes back up to the oldest tombstones. About 80% of the interred are dogs. Many have photoes or pictures on the markers. The graveyard is not well maintained in parts (meaning grasscutting & pruning of bushes). There are so many markers I just couldn't find Petey's from "Our Gang"!

I may not know where Petey is buried, but I CAN assure you that there were MANY Petey's used in the Our Gang comedies throughout the years. According to Leonard Maltin's The Little Rascal's - The Life and Times of Our Gang, there were "no fewer than 3, possibly up to a dozen Peteys throughout the years". In fact, quite often, there were multiple Peteys used in a single film. One Petey was good with close-ups, another who specialized in action shots, etc. So, in answer to your question... there are probably MANY Petey gravesites throughout the US!