09/03/2022
Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend.
Our office will be closed Monday, September 5, 2022.
Sleepy Hollow Pet Cemetery & Crematory
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- Sleepy Hollow Pet Cemetery & Crematory
"Every Pet's Life Tells a Story!" Sleepy Hollow has been helping Michigan pet families navigate through the loss of their companions for nearly 50 years.
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Address
2755 64th Street
Grand Rapids, MI
49513
Opening Hours
| Monday | 9am - 6:30pm |
| Tuesday | 9am - 6:30pm |
| Wednesday | 9am - 5pm |
| Thursday | 9am - 5pm |
| Friday | 9am - 6:30pm |
| Saturday | 9am - 12pm |
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Sleepy Hollow - Celebrating 50 Years!
By Janet Vormittag
Fifty years ago the first pet cemetery in Kent County was moved from Wyoming to Byron Center. At the same time, the name was changed from Dean Dal Cemetery, to Sleepy Hollow Pet Cemetery. Pets were exhumed and reburied, including a dog from World War II originally buried in 1953. In 2001, David Fields bought the seven-acre cemetery on 64th Street, west of Byron Center Avenue. He reminisced that back then the area was still country. Byron Center Avenue was a two-lane road, M6 didn’t exist, the nearby Kent Trails was still railroad tracks and residential communities were open fields. Despite the nearby changes, the cemetery remains a peaceful oasis with mowed lawns, flowerbeds, and majestic maple and spruce trees. To commemorate 50 years in Byron Center, David plans on redoing the entrance landscaping and installing a digital sign. David has a college degree in mortuary science and is a licensed funeral director. He spent years working in human funeral services and now uses his education and experience to help pet parents. “I thought pets deserved the same care and dignity as humans,” he said. “It’s not just a dog or cat. It’s a member of the family.” After purchasing the business, David made several improvements. He added office space to the existing building, paved the parking lot, and added a crematory. Three years later, he added a second crematory capable of handling horses. Before equine crematories became customary, he used to travel throughout Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana to pick up horses. Close to 99 percent of the business at Sleepy Hollow is cremation. Most people keep the cremains, but a few choose to bury them at the cemetery. Less than twodozen full burials take place each year. Besides cats, dogs and horses, staff at Sleepy Hollow have cremated fish, pocket pets, a lion from John Ball Zoo, chickens, snakes, sheep, chimps, llamas and more. Two years ago, additional crematories were installed bringing the total to seven chambers. Sleepy Hollow offers service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. “There’s always someone on call,” said Kim DeJong who has been part of the service team for five years. Kim recalls coming to the cemetery in 1975 with her grandmother to bury a pet. “I thought it was neat. I always had a passion for pets,” she said. She’s amazed she now works at the cemetery. “It’s very fulfilling to know we’re helping people. They’re so grateful.” Kim is the greeter when people walk through the door. She is compassionate and understanding. “I know what they’re going through,” she said. Kim is impressed by the way David always goes above and beyond what is expected. “I try to exceed our customers expectations,” he said. The exceptional service is evident in the numerous thank-you cards, calls, emails and texts. Clients often send photos of new pets. “It’s an honor to walk with people on their journey and help them during their time of loss,” David said.
