Alaska SPCA’s property sale angers those with pets buried in former cemetery

WILLOW, Alaska (KTUU) – Willow resident Mike Carter was looking for land to purchase earlier this week when he came upon a listing that looked familiar. He recognized the parcel for sale in Willow as the place where he had buried his beloved Labrador retrievers, Ziggy and Zipper, in 2014 and 2022, commonly known as the Willow Pet Cemetery.

Carter called the Alaska SPCA, an animal welfare nonprofit with locations in Anchorage, which confirmed the property was for sale and the cemetery was closed.

Alaska SPCA Executive Director Kelly Donnelly said in a statement that the property was donated to the organization in the 1970s for the purpose of building a branch location, not a cemetery.

The organization did allow burials in the cemetery, but Donnelly said none had been authorized in many years. She described the property as neglected and said that after deliberating for more than a year, they made the decision to move forward with the sale.

Donnelly said in a statement her group’s mission is to end the suffering of dogs and cats. She said proceeds from the property sale will go to further that mission.

“We are working on ways to improve access to veterinary care and expand shelter options. To honor the memory of animals for which we have record of burial, we are planning to have a monument in a memorial garden included as part of a new structure we are planning,” Donnelly wrote in a statement.

But Carter is disappointed the SPCA didn’t go public with the sale sooner and he’s disturbed to think the final resting place for his beloved dogs may not be final at all.

“They shouldn’t never allowed anybody to put their pets in there,” he said. “When you put somebody in the pet cemetery you don’t expect that you are going to be digging them up later. That’s disgusting.”

In an emailed statement Tuesday, Donnelly said the organization is not advising people to retrieve their pet’s remains. This directive will only be made if their request with the buyer for this courtesy to take place is approved.

“We are asking people to contact us if they want to be kept apprised of developments so that we can be responsive and accurate when there is a final agreement with a buyer about the disposition of the remains,” Donnelly said. “The contact information for many owners is 40 years out of date and we genuinely want to help owners navigate this difficult process.”

Donnelly said that individuals with authorized burials in the cemetery can contact her at kdonnelly@alaskaspca.org.

Correction: The article has been updated to correct the status of the pet disposition plan. The terms of the sale have yet to be negotiated, including what will happen with the pet remains.

Copyright 2023 KTUU. All rights reserved.