Kamal Ghorui
VISAKHAPATNAM: Dog is known as the first animal to accompany humankind in death. Archaeologists once discovered a 12,000-year-old grave in northern Israel where a woman was buried with her hand resting on a puppy, both laid to rest together.Across thousands of years and lands, the same bond has found new expression in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam, where many Vizagites have built grave memorials for their beloved pets. These quiet rows of grey stone and sand reveal how dear these companions were to them, and the depth of their bonds. Some have even expressed a wish to reunite with their pets in the afterlife or in another life, while some dog owners inscribed ‘Forever’ instead of a death date on the stones to show that their bonding will last beyond its physical life.Vizagites turn beach into pet memorial siteScattered across the beachfront in Appughar area, these memorial stones bear heartfelt inscriptions like, “May you return home to us”; “You left paw prints on our hearts”; “Chinnoda malli ravali” (little one, you should be born again); “Missed beyond measure”; “Until I meet you in the afterlife, rest in peace in heaven”; “My hardest goodbye”; and “You are gone from our lives but never from our hearts”. Some markers read, “My brother in spirit” and “Chinni Krishnudu” (little Krishna).When STOI visited these memorials, Jonnada Raghuram, a local, was cleaning one of the stones. Raghuram, a grocery wholesaler from Lawson’s Bay Colony in Vizag, said he set up the memorial in memory of his dog, Snoopy, who died a few years ago. “We treated him like our own child, alongside our two sons. He died after staying with us for eight years. Our family visits his resting place from time to time to remember him,” he said.Almost all the stones lovingly refer to the departed pets as “little girl”, “brave boy”, Babu, Nanna, or Kanna (dear child), while those who erected them identify themselves as mummy, daddy, or siblings. For instance, one marker describes a dog as a “beloved daughter” and “sister” who gave the family “immense happiness and a lifetime of memories”. “Run free, my baby, you will always be missed,” another memorial read.Some stones mention the auspicious timing of the passing of these pets. One dog, for example, is noted to have died on Guru Pournami in 2025, while another passed away on Akshaya Tritiya last year.Karri Kiran, who runs a pet supplies shop in MVP Colony area of Visakhapatnam, said the bond with pets can sometimes go beyond that with family members. “The kind of care and love pet owners show when they come to our shop makes it clear how deeply attached they are. They choose the best food, worry over the smallest discomfort, and celebrate even the little moments in their pets’ lives,” he said.Kiran added that this attachment does not fade with loss. “When a pet passes away, it is like losing a child or a close companion. That is why memorials like the ones at Appughar feel so personal. They are a way of holding on to that unconditional love,” said Kiran.While burying pets is heartbreaking, setting up these memorials can also be expensive, costing between Rs 20,000 and Rs 50,000 depending on the size and materials used. Families visit these sites occasionally, often on the birth or death anniversaries of these pets. Many also come regularly to clean the stones, which would otherwise be covered in sand from the nearby shore.
