Gipsy (dog)

Gipsy (died November 1879) was a large, long-lived Newfoundland dog which belonged to American artist Lemuel Wilmarth and his wife, Emma Belinda Barrett.

[1] They had a casket made, with Gipsy's name on a silver plate, and held a funeral for the dog, with a hearse and carriages.

[2][1] According to The New York Times, "the body was laid out in orthodox style, and had its front limbs placed in position, as if begging, and tied up with white satin ribbon.

[1] The news inspired Henry Bergh, founder of the ASPCA, to write a poem for Gipsy.

In 2007, the ASPCA added a plaque bearing the full text of Bergh's poem on Wilmarth's plot, dedicated in a ceremony attended by Newfoundlands from local rescues.