Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard

Troop's grave, the oldest in the cemetery.

The cemetery was established on September 4, 1937 by Key Underwood, who buried his coon dog, Troop, in an old hunting camp[2][3] located in rural Colbert County, Alabama, USA. The closest town is Cherokee, Alabama.[4][5] At the time, Underwood had no intention of starting a dog cemetery but wanted to bury Troop, who he had owned and coon hunted for 15 years, in a place the dog had liked. Underwood buried Troop three feet deep and engraved an old chimney stone for a marker. Other hunters followed his example when their dogs died, and gradually the cemetery came into being.[6] [7] The entrance is marked by a statue of two coonhounds treeing a raccoon.[3]

Dogs must meet three requirements to qualify for burial at the cemetery: the owner must certify that their dog is a purebred coonhound, a witness must declare that the deceased is a coon dog that has been hunted, and a member of the local coonhunters' organization must be allowed to view the coonhound's body and certify it to be purebred. Mixed breeds or pet dogs are not allowed to be buried in the graveyard.[6]

Headstones in the cemetery range from basic homemade wooden and metal monuments to the more elaborate marble engraved stones similar to the ones found at many human cemeteries. Some have epitaphs, such as "He wasn't the best, but he was the best I ever owned". The interred dogs include many notable hunting dogs such as Hunter's Famous Amos, Ralston Purina's 1984 Dog of the Year. It is the only cemetery in the world specifically dedicated to coonhounds.[6] By 2014, over 300 dogs were buried in the cemetery.[7]

The cemetery was featured in the movie Sweet Home Alabama, but the producers used artistic license to relocate it to south Alabama.[8]

Travis Wammack entertains the crowd at the 2007 Labor Day Celebration

Every Labor Day the Tennessee Valley Coon Hunter's Association sponsors a gathering at the cemetery in a tribute to the inauguration of the cemetery on Labor Day in 1937. The celebration includes bluegrass music, dancing, barbecue and a liar's contest.[8] Admission is free to the public, but donations are accepted and go toward upkeep. In 2014 eight Redbone Coonhound puppies were sold at the gathering, with proceeds going to upkeep. The gathering is often attended by local politicians.[7]

• Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard
• Coon Dog Graveyard on RoadsideAmerica.com
• Key Underwood Coon Dog Memorial Graveyard in Encyclopedia of Alabama