HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — The owner of a pet cemetery in Henrico County is warning the public about Virginia’s nighttime trespassing laws.
Marsha Rodgers owns and operates Pet Memorial Parks LLC on Terrell Drive in the Tuckahoe neighborhood.
“Our cemetery is very cool, it's very quiet, it's very peaceful, and it's very historical. That's why we give walking historic tours of the cemetery a few times a year,” she explained. “We love the fact that the neighbors and surrounding residents like our cemetery. That they want to visit here. That they want to walk their dogs or take their daily strolls through here; we understand the interest and fascination.”
In the past, she has seen vandalism of grave markers and headstones. Rodgers updated her cameras after she said a pet owner attempted to bury their cat at night without permission in the fall.
Rodgers reached out to CBS 6 after an increase in individuals captured on surveillance video walking through her cemetery at night.
In Virginia, it is illegal to be on cemetery property at night other than to visit the burial lot or grave of a family member.
“We're a pet cemetery, but we're still a working cemetery, so all laws that apply to cemeteries also apply to us,” Rodgers stated. “It's against the law. It’s trespassing.”
Rodgers noted that walking inside a dark cemetery is dangerous due to small tripping hazards and nighttime wildlife.
Anyone convicted of trespassing at night in a cemetery faces a Class 4 misdemeanor and a fine of up to $250.
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