Dog owners increasingly believe that their pets go to heaven.
A dog
A new study that examines the history of pet cemeteries has uncovered a rise in graves for dogs over the past 100 years and suggests that humans think that they will be reunited with their beloved animals in death.
Dr. Eric Tourigny, who looked at more than 1,000 animal headstones for the research, told The Guardian newspaper: "Few 19th-century gravestones reference an afterlife, although some may ‘hope’ to see their loved ones again,
"By the mid-20th century, a greater proportion of animal gravestones suggest owners were awaiting a reunion in the afterlife."
Tourigny explained that the majority of headstones are for dogs, but the proportion of graves for cats and other animals has also increased over time.