GENOA TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Heavenly Acres Pet Cemetery in Livingston County abruptly closed, leaving thousands of families wondering what will happen to the remains of their beloved animals.
UPDATE: Livingston County pet cemetery closure leaves pet owners wondering what's next
There are more than 74,000 pets buried at Heavenly Acres -- some of the heartfelt goodbyes chiseled into the granite headstones are longer than those left for humans -- but nobody knows who currently owns the cemetery.
For more than 40 years, the pet cemetery made the pain of a beloved dog or cat's passing easier to bear. On the property, there are a couple of abandoned old buildings: a house and a kennel.
Genoa Township Supervisor Bill Rogers told Local 4 he didn't even know about the facility until recently when the old owner lost possession in a foreclosure.
"He had it for about 10, years and prior to that, it had always been a cemetery," Rogers said.
The battle over ownership has attorneys squaring off and a lot of pet owners are concerned about what's to happen to the gravesites.
Rogers is asking everyone to sit tight and stay away from the property while things are figured out.
"If anything, the current property owner would have to give them permission to go out there and do anything," Rogers said.
Local 4 was told there is a move to bring back the old operator, but all of the details are scarce.