Colorado’s Memorial to Pets Lost in the Marshall Fire is Amazing and Bittersweet

The Marshall Fire in Boulder County in December of 2021 was Colorado's most destructive wildfire. In addition to two people dying and 1,048 homes being destroyed, more than 1,000 pets were lost to the fire.

Nearly three years after that destruction a memorial was erected to honor and remember those beloved pets, large and small. As pets are much like members of the family, the memorial is very sweet and sad at the same time.

Everyone in Colorado should visit it, if they can.

Colorado Unveils Memorial Honoring Pets That Perished in Marshall Fire

Simply called "Pet Memorial," the memorial for the pets lost during the Marshall Fire of 2021 was created by sculptor Michael Patrick Garman who is based out of Colorado Springs, and is also a firefighter.

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According to FOX31, the memorial was commissioned by the non-profit Louisville Rising, the memorial cost about $40,000 and is located at the Louisville Arboretum, north of Highway 36 and McCaslin Boulevard.

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The memorial is not large but it does make your hear swell, as you look at how so many pets can be represented with just a few depictions:

• Dog.
• Cat.
• Bunny.
• Horseshoes.
• Salamander.
• Snake.
• Cockatiel.
• Mouse.

It must have been a hard decision, choosing what animals to include with the memorial.

Near the memorial, people have placed painted rocks, to represent their own pets; there were also cans of cat food the day we visited the memorial, which was just a week after it had been unveiled. It will be interesting to see what items are there as the years go by.