Decorating Guidelines

Decorating Guidelines

Decorating Guidelines Charles Street Pet Cemetery 6202 Charles St. Rockford, IL 61108 815-399-5011office@arlingtonmemorialcemetery.com  

 These GUIDELINES have been established by the Officers of the Charles Street Pet Cemetery and Trustees of Arlington Memorial Park (as pet cemetery’s landlord) to assist family and visitors to the pet cemetery during their visits to the serene surrounds. The Officers and Trustees have carefully strived to establish prudent guidelines that will allow us to successfully deliver the mandate for providing quality perpetual care in a space that is shared by many.

Burial: After burial, all graves are filled and backfilled as needed. It can take up to two years for a grave to settle. Grass seed will be planted once settling stopped. Markers: All grave markers must be approved and set by the Pet Cemetery staff. Markers can be made of bronze or granite. The granite marker must be 4 inches thick. Bronze markers must be set on a concrete base. Anything not approved and not set by the cemetery will be removed.

Perpetual care: funds provide for the ongoing maintenance of the Cemetery. These are one-time charge Perpetual Carees collected with interment and marker settings, same as in the people sections.

Maintenance: This includes lawn maintenance/trimming around markers, alignment, raising, and setting of markers, this the responsibility of the cemetery. Repairs to the physical markers are the responsibility of the marker owner. Maintenance of roads, buildings and equipment is the responsibility of the Cemetery and Association. Necessary trimming or removal of trees and shrubs will be the decision of the Cemetery Manager and Grounds Crew. No chemicals on the grass.Planting: No planting of flowers, shrubs, etc. No landscaping materials of any kind, including rocks, mulch, or edging of any type. Again, no chemicals on the grass.

Decorating: Cemetery staff reserve the right to make informed decisions regarding the appropriateness of grave decorations. Staff will remove and dispose of all items that are contrary to the uniformity and beautification of the Cemetery.Criteria for “inappropriate decorations” will be, but not limited to, those decorations that are detrimental to maintenance, and those which present a safety hazard to visitors and staff. One shepherd hook is allowed, with appropriate decorations including but not limited to live or silk plants, windchimes, birdhouses, etc. A single solar light will be allowed near the marker. No benches, trellises, grave blankets, urns, or in-ground vases are allowed in the Pet Cemetery.Seasonal removal: All decorations will be removed on April 1st both from the ground and from the shepherd hook. If you have something you want to keep, please remove it by March 31st or it will be disposed of. No exceptions. It is the family's responsibility to track the calendar for Easter in relation to Spring Cleanup.  If you are not using your shepherd hook during the winter, please remove it by October 31st. Empty hooks will be removed on November 1st. Take into consideration that during the winter months, if there is burial near the gravesite, the hook may be removed and not replaced due to frozen ground.

The Pet Cemetery staff and officers and Arlington Park Association (the landlord) are NOT responsible for damaged, misplaced or stolen personal property.  The Pet Cemetery and Arlington Park Association will try to protect markers and decorations during regular ground maintenance and preparations for internments. However, the Pet Cemetery and the Association cannot be responsible for such damage if it were to occur. The cemetery shall not be liable for any injuries sustained by any person on the cemetery grounds. 

THE FOLLWING ITEMS ARE NOT PERMITTEDStatues or lawn ornaments, signs or plaques unless hung from the shepherd hook, flag poles, fencing, seasonal caricatures, crockery, stuffed animals, wooden crosses, picture frames, glass of any kind including but not limited to jars and vases, wire stands, wooden markers, trees, seasonal or otherwise, no grave blankets. No benches, trellises, urns in-ground or above ground, no grave markers that haven’t been approved and set by the staff of the Pet Cemetery. (Revised May 2026)

Spring Clean Up

The Charles Street Pet Cemetery does a Spring Clean Up, scheduled every year on April 1, that is held in conjuction with Arlington Memorial Park and regardlessof where Easter falls on the calender. Keep this in mind when bringing out decorations.  At that time, EVERYTHING but the shepherd hooks are removed anddisposed of. This included ALL floral arrangements, wreaths, baskests, etc. The staff doesn't have time to do individual assessments of the flowers. If you want tosave anything, please remove it by the last week of March.

Seasonal Flowers Available

The baskets go out in mid April after Spring Clean Up. Orders general start in February or March. They are often available through out the year until sold out and we often have shepherd hooks available too if you need one.Christmas wreaths usually go on sale mid to late September and available until sold out. The sales go through Arlington Memorial Park, so let the office knowwhen you order that's it's for a pet at the Pet Cemetery. You can also contact the office throughout the year and ask to be placed on the flowers and/or wreathsmailing list for the postcard reminders.