Vandals destroyed grave stones and even exhumed a casket at a Clarksville pet cemetery, leaving families to pick up the pieces.
"There's really no other bond that you have in life than [the one] you have with your pet," said Traci Vallone, who owns Garden of Love Pet Cemetery.
Some call them pets, others call them family, but whatever you decide to call them, there's no doubt they hold a special place in your heart.
"They give seniors a reason to live. They give our soldiers, who have lost a limb in combat, a reason to fight," said Vallone.
Monday, Vallone made the shocking discovery that the Garden of Love Pet Cemetery had been vandalized.
"There was one pet's body was uncovered in a coffin, pulled three-fourths out of the ground," said Vallone.
Yet, they didn't sop there. They damaged grave stones, broke keepsakes, and destroyed flowers left behind at the pets grave.
"There's something really wrong with someone who would do that. They're dangerous," said Vallone.
To make matters worse, there is no protection for pet cemeteries. The pets are considered carcasses and do not fall under the abuse of a corpse law.
While the owners work on securing the property, they're also fighting to preserve the pets final resting place.
"They have an enormous value. They are not carcasses. They are not equipment. They are pets - a living, breathing, sensitive being," said Vallone.
A gofundme was set up for the families impacted.
