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Vandals target local pet cemetery; ‘How disrespectful can you be?’

Posted at 6:39 PM, Oct 09, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-09 20:14:36-04

HENRICO COUNTY, Va - The owner of a pet cemetery in Henrico County discovered the property had been vandalized over the weekend.  Marsha Rodgers, who bought the property last year and has operated it since, found more than 90 headstones toppled when she surveyed the damage with Henrico Police officers.

The Pet Memorial Park is in a neighborhood just off Three Chopt Road, near the Parham Road intersection. 

"You just don't do that. Maybe there are just animals here, but there are people who have been attached and loved these animals. They want to come and visit and they don't want to find this when they get here," Rodgers said.

The vandals smashed glasses vases, snapped headstones, and pushed other over.  Some the plots on the property date back to the 1930's, Rodgers said.  One of the animals buried there is locally famous.  Lady Wonder Horse, who according to reports was psychic and could even read, is buried at Pet Memorial Park.

Rodgers and her husband bought the property last August, she said, because her dog, Snowball, is buried there.  Over the past year, they have worked to make the site an operating pet cemetery.  A man who's cat is buried there called her Saturday morning to report the vandalism.

"I know how emotional it is when you lose a pet. . . I mean how disrespectful can you be?  What kind of person finds that sort of thing funny?" Rodgers asked.  "I can't believe that somebody would do this."

Rodgers said they do have at least one clue.  A few days before the vandalism, someone left a cryptic, taunting message on the business phone line, she said.

"Luckily they weren't very smart and they calls us from their phone, so we do have the police looking into that," Rodgers said.  "I'm going to find out who did it, and make sure they understand the extent of what they've done."

Anyone with information on the vandalism is asked to contact the Henrico County Police at 804-501-5000.

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