SAN FRANCISCO -- The presidio pet cemetery is a half-acre tract partially under Doyle Dr. and on Friday, it was surrounded by a rebuilding construction project.

Weeds have overrun the grounds where more than 400 pets of military families are buried. The names and epitaphs on some headstones, many made of now-rotting wood can't be read very well.

Presidio Trust Executive Director Craig Middelton said collaboration with vets to rehabilitate the cemetery seems like the natural thing to do.

"The pet cemetery has been here for years. It pulls at your heart strings. And it sounds like something we could do together," said Middleton.

The pet cemetery has been here since at least the beginning of WWII.

Local non-profit Swords to Plowshares has volunteers working on the project, which will redo grave markers as well as clean up the grounds.

"Some of the ones that are beyond repair we'll do a little replica at least to preserve the name of the person and the pet," said Sam Bibbens of Swords to Plowshares.

There are mostly dogs and cats buried here, but also some birds and hamsters.

Bibbens said Swords To Plowshares is providing eight volunteers to clean up the gravesites and people are welcome to help.

"What I would love to see is someone who was a child to come back and say 'that's my family's dog,'" said Bibbens.

The cemetery has been closed to new burials since the 1960s, although some people may have been burying pets there recently, probably in the dead of night.