WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY
Lyon Township might well be considered the southern gateway to the 900 square miles of Oakland County. The township has deep-rooted history in the growth of our county and state; some aspects of that history are well-known, and some are not. This is the tale of a small roadside greenspace on the southwest corner of Milford and 11 Mile Roads, a lesser known story from the wilder side of Oakland County. That site was once known as the Happy Hunting Grounds Pets Cemetery and is the final resting place for several thousand pets and some farm animals. The site also hold the remains of some historic pets, including a parrot that was on Admiral Dewey’s Spanish-American war flagship, and Blizzard, one of Admiral Byrd’s sled dogs from an Antarctic expedition.
That walkable, open to the public, historic cemetery is partially shaded by a canopy of mostly large oak trees, and is now known as the Michigan War Dog Memorial. It has special significance for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, and holds a high degree of reverence for everyone that has an appreciation for dogs, especially Military War Dogs, Service Dogs and Law Enforcement K-9s. Continue reading