Pet cemetery owner tells families to ‘come get your pets’ after claiming site is canceled

GALLATIN, Tenn. (WSMV) - A social media post claiming a pet cemetery in Gallatin is being “canceled” sent pet owners into a panic, leaving many fearful that their beloved pets’ graves could be disturbed.

For pet owners like Tisia McCormick, the cemetery holds more than just memories.

“Tippy, she was my first dog, and actually, my stepfather got her for me a month after my real father died. I had her for over 16 years, and she was our dog, buried there,” McCormick said.

Her family has seven pets buried at the site.

“She was a special dog. She was part of our family.”

So when a Facebook post from property owner Benjamin Patton began circulating online — claiming the cemetery was “canceled” and urging pet owners to remove their animals — it shook families.

“This is really heartfelt stuff, and those animals have a lot of meaning to their people, and so I don’t think he’s being very sensitive about that,” McCormick said.

Patton told WSMV he made the post in response to false claims that he was destroying the cemetery, which he denies. He later wrote in a text message, “Come and get your pets if you’re going to lie.”

Sumner County officials confirmed there is no construction happening on top of the cemetery.

However, the county’s director of planning and engineering says they did find a separate violation — a creek buffer on the property was cleared without a permit. Officials plan to discuss the violation with Patton.

In the meantime, McCormick remains hopeful that her pets’ graves will remain untouched.

“It’s protected, and nothing will happen to them. That’s my hope. I hope that nothing happens to them. I hope that no one’s little stones have been messed up or anything like that.”

County officials said the pet cemetery must be preserved. Any changes would require approval from commissioners—an outcome they do not anticipate.