People Have Been Leaving Sticks On This Dog's Grave Who Died 100 Years Ago

Despite being there for nearly a century, the dog grave has suddenly received a lot of attention. The tombstone has recently become a draw at the cemetery. People have been flocking in only to see the much-discussed tombstone. Visitors are putting sticks over the statue's small paws to pay their respects to Rex. Because the gravestone lies beneath a tree, passers-by began picking up sticks from the ground and offering them to Rex. And it somehow became a ritual.

People Are Bringing Sticks And Placing Them On This Dog Grave

Photos of the dog burial and the accumulation of sticks have started to circulate online. People are becoming increasingly intrigued by the mystery dog. According to legend, Rex was the favorite dog of the late fruit trader John E. Stow, who died in 1884. So, when Rex died years later, he was buried close to Stow's tombstone, as Stow had requested. 

Rex was not the only dog buried at Green-Wood Cemetery. Four more pets are buried at the exclusive cemetery. However, Rex was thought to be the last because of a public outcry over the internment of animals at the graveyard.

Green-Wood had since discontinued the practice of interring pets in the cemetery. However, in April 2016, the cemetery gave a tour of the grounds to guests so they could see the renowned animals buried there. 

That's how the public learned about Rex and the other pets buried in the memorial garden. If you want to come and leave a stick on Rex's monument, the popular dog burial is located in Lot 2925, Section 81 of Green Wood.

"People will drop a stick across his little paws," Stacy Locke, Communications Manager at Green-Wood Cemetery, said. "Someone also left a picture of a dog there once, maybe their little pet who passed away, as to say, 'Rex, look after my little one.'"

Here's What People Have To Say About This Heartwarming Tradition