On most days , Mark Lindenberg either drives or walks over to visit with Boots , his beloved cat who died in 2020 at 17 years old .
馬克·林登伯格幾乎每天都開車或步行去探望布茨，那是他心愛的貓，2020年以17歲高齡過世。
The New York man had the animal buried at the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery , a burial place on small grassy hills near the main road .
這位紐約男子把貓葬在了哈茨代爾寵物墓園，那是一片靠近主要道路、長滿青草的小山丘墓地。
The words on Boots ’ tombstone read , “You taught me how to love and be loved .”
布茨的墓碑上寫著：「你教會了我如何去愛和被愛。」
Other tombstones include phrases such as “A truer friend we never had ” and “Our beloved queen .”
其他墓碑上有「我們從未有過更真誠的朋友」和「我們心愛的女王」等字句。
“Human cemeteries are sad ,” Lindenberg said .
林登伯格說：「人類的墓地讓人傷感。」
“This is one of the most cheerful places .”
「這裡是最令人愉快的地方之一。」
He added , “I can't think of a better place .”
他補充說：「我想不出更好的地方了。」
Hartsdale is America's oldest pet cemetery in operation .
哈茨代爾是美國仍在營運的最古老的寵物墓園。
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012 .
它於2012年被列入國家史蹟名錄。
Lindenberg says he paid about $7,000 to bury Boots at Hartsdale .
林登伯格說，他花了大約7000美元把布茨葬在哈茨代爾。
Those costs cover the individual site , burial , burial container , tombstone , and grounds care .
這些費用包括獨立墓位、安葬、棺木、墓碑和場地維護。
“What have I worked for if I'm not going to do the things that matter most , and this mattered most ,” Lindenberg said .
林登伯格說：「如果不去做最重要的事情，那我辛苦工作是為了什麼？而這件事就是最重要的。」
“I got instant closure the day I decided I was going to bury her here .”
「我決定把牠葬在這裡的那天，心裡立刻就釋懷了。」
Pet burials started in Hartsdale in 1896 when animal doctor Samuel Johnson let a woman bury her dog on his property of apple trees .
哈茨代爾的寵物安葬始於1896年，當時獸醫塞繆爾·約翰遜允許一名女子把她的狗埋在他種滿蘋果樹的土地上。
The place is about 30 kilometers north of New York City .
這裡位於紐約市以北約30公里處。
Since that time , about 70,000 animals have been laid to rest in the two-hectare cemetery .
從那時起，約有7萬隻動物長眠於這片兩公頃的墓地。
Most of the pets buried at Hartsdale are cats and dogs , but several other kinds of animals are also there .
葬在哈茨代爾的寵物大多是貓和狗，但也有其他幾種動物。
“There's reptiles that are buried here .
「這裡埋著爬蟲類。
Mice ,” said Edward Martin III , vice president of the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery .
還有老鼠。」哈茨代爾寵物墓園副總裁愛德華·馬丁三世說。
“There's a lion cub that was buried here in 1912 by a Russian princess .
「這裡有一頭幼獅，是1912年由一位俄國公主埋葬的。
There's the ashes of Ming , who's a Bengal tiger that was buried here a few years ago .
還有幾年前葬在這裡的孟加拉虎明的骨灰。
There are some monkeys .”
還有幾隻猴子。」
There is also Hudson the horse , some birds and singer Mariah Carey's cat , Clarence .
這裡還有名叫哈德遜的馬、一些鳥，以及歌手瑪麗亞·凱莉的貓克拉倫斯。
The oldest headstone , dating to 1898 , remembers the life of a dog named Blague .
最古老的墓碑可追溯到1898年，紀念一隻名叫布拉格的狗。
Martin operates the place with his father Edward Martin Jr ., who purchased the cemetery in 1974 .
馬丁和父親小愛德華·馬丁一起經營這裡，他的父親於1974年買下了這座墓園。
The younger Martin is a lawyer and accountant who decided later in his career to help run the cemetery .
小馬丁是律師兼會計師，在職業生涯後期決定幫忙經營墓園。
He had worked there also as a teenager .
他十幾歲時也曾在那裡工作。
“And I have helped them , and it makes me want to continue helping them .”
「我幫助過他們，這讓我想繼續幫助他們。」
Between 250 and 300 burials take place at Hartsdale each year .
哈茨代爾每年有250到300次安葬。
The cemetery never runs out of space because not all of the burial sites are permanent .
這座墓園從不缺位置，因為並非所有墓位都是永久的。
People can make a one-time forever maintenance payment of $3,500 or a yearly payment of $105 .
人們可以一次性支付3500美元的永久維護費，或每年支付105美元。
If the yearly payments stop , that gravesite is offered for sale .
如果停止每年繳費，該墓位就會出售。
“The pet in the grave will be removed from that plot so someone else who wants it can pay the maintenance .
「墓裡的寵物會從那塊墓地移出，這樣想要它的人就可以支付維護費。
And the pets are taken out , and they're cremated , and they don't leave the cemetery ,” said Martin Jr ., Hartsdale's president .
這些寵物會被移出並火化，但不會離開墓園。」哈茨代爾總裁小馬丁說。
“Their remains are scattered over the cemetery grass .”
「牠們的骨灰會撒在墓園的草地上。」
A centerpiece at the cemetery is the war dog memorial at the top of a hill .
墓園的核心景點是山頂上的軍犬紀念碑。
Established in 1923 , the memorial honored World War I service dogs .
這座紀念碑建於1923年，用以紀念第一次世界大戰中的服役犬。
But these days , the memorial honors service dogs of all kinds .
但如今，這座紀念碑紀念各種服務犬。
“I have to be buried somewhere .
「我總得葬在某個地方。
And why would I go to any place other than this ?” he said .
那我為什麼要去別的地方，而不是這裡呢？」他說。
“My mother and father , and my mother-in-law or father-in-law are buried here , and so , that's a good reason by itself to do it .”
「我的父母，還有我的岳母或岳父都葬在這裡，單憑這一點就是很好的理由。」
Lindenberg also likes the idea .
林登伯格也喜歡這個主意。
He has already prepared to be cremated and buried alongside Boots when the time comes .
他已經做好安排，等到那一天就火化並葬在布茨旁邊。
I don't know if I'll ever get married , and I can't think of a better place ,” he said .
我不知道自己會不會結婚，也想不出更好的地方了。」他說。
“I lived with my cat every day for almost 17 years .
「我和我的貓每天生活在一起，將近17年。
Why stop now ?”
為什麼現在要停下來呢？」
In the meantime , Lindenberg , who lives a 10-minute walk away , will continue to visit his old friend almost daily .
在此之前，住在步行10分鐘路程外的林登伯格將繼續幾乎每天都來探望他的老朋友。