Historic Pet Cemetery Slated for Restoration

On Tuesday November 19th, 2013 a decision was made by the Board of Trustees of the Humane Society for Greater Nashua to begin the restoration of Proctor Cemetery. The $7,500 contract agreement was signed with local contractor Mark Coulombe & Sons, LLC to begin the process of building an irrigation system for the cemetery. The funding for this project was generously donated by current plot owners and Proctor Cemetery supporters.

In 1930 local businessman Roscoe Proctor donated the land to the Humane Society making Proctor Cemetery the first pet cemetery in New Hampshire. The first animal to be buried in the cemetery was a cat named Creampot who was killed in Nashua’s Crown Hill Fire when its owner’s home, among hundreds of others, was consumed by flames on Allds Street in May of 1930. The historical cemetery holds many other stories including the burial of the state’s oldest horse in 1942, a burial funded by school children in 1946, and a K-9 soldier from World War II.

More than 3,000 pets have been buried at Proctor Cemetery since its creation in 1930. The cemetery, which resides at the entrance of the Humane Society for Greater Nashua, has been long overdue for a restoration. With at least 400 plots still available, the Board of Trustees plans to utilize the restoration as a means to generate additional revenue for the care of its shelter animals.

Douglas Barry who began his position as the Society’s Executive Director in February of this year has spearheaded this project with aggressive goals to improve the shelter’s financial deficit by finding new means of generating revenue. Plots are currently available in the historical pet cemetery for $500 through its Cemetery Coordinator Joan Maione. In it’s current condition the plots are selling at low annual number of around 10 per year. The Board of Trustees hopes this restoration will improve sales and in turn help the shelter to continue to support its animal welfare programs.

As of right now, the Humane Society for Greater Nashua is unsure of when the full restoration will be complete, but has signed the contract to start. The Humane Society for Greater Nashua’s Cemetery Coordinator Joan Maione stated that “the full project may not be finished this year, or next year, but this irrigation system is the first step in allowing us to beautify this cemetery and create a revenue source for the shelter for many years to come.”

About The Humane Society for Greater Nashua

HSFN is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization that has been supporting Greater Nashua since its inception in 1900. It has a staff of 25 people who, along with volunteers, help care for and raise needed funds for the over 2,300 pets it houses each year. The Humane Society for Greater Nashua is overseen by a volunteer Board of Trustees who provide leadership and guidance for the organization. More information about the organization and the services it provides to the community can be found at www.hsfn.org.