This history of Sea Breeze Pet Cemetery will be the subject of guest speaker Kathie Schey at the Orange County Historical Society’s Nov. 11th, 2021 meeting, 7:30 p.m., Trinity Episcopal Church, 2400 N. Canal St., Orange.
People have always cherished their animals. In modern western history, their relationships are revealed in art, literature, and even in popular culture. The human-animal bond is especially demonstrated through the practice of pet cemetery burial. Exploring and documenting this at Sea Breeze Pet Cemetery in Huntington Beach over number of years has revealed a fascinating story of animal memorials and human mourning. Be they hero dogs, beloved cats, hapless hamsters or a childhood chicken, their grave markers, grave goods and the sheer longevity of remembrance tell us much about their roles in our lives.
Kathie Schey is the Archivist for the City of Huntington Beach and a former OCHS board member. She has a Masters Degree in history, and holds numerous certifications in archives, history and historic preservation. She has won a number of awards including two nationally-competed visiting research fellowships. While still in college, she received the Nicholas Perkins Hardeman Prize for Outstanding Achievement by a Graduate Student for her work on the history of human-animal relationships.
Schey is the current chair of the Huntington Beach Historic Resources Board and of the city’s Design Review Board.