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Recognizing the long-standing need here for a no-kill animal shelter, the nonprofit Northern Neck Partners for Pets (NNPP) was founded in 2014 to complement the work of ACOs and AWL.
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If you can open your heart to rescue and compassionate care, please join us,volunteer, and donate at the NNPP website northernneckpartnersforpets.org. Pets that are given another chance will thank you tenfold.
Americans are devoted to our pets. Nearly two-thirds of households have treasured animal companions. Why? Because they give us unconditional love, personal fulfillment, and enduring loyalty. Pets find joy in the simplest things and in return we love their wagging tails, cuddles, purrs, and above all, the smiling faces that greet us every day.
But do you know what happens to homeless animals? They are lost, abandoned, abused, or sick. If they are lucky, a kind soul takes them to an animal shelter.
In the Northern Neck, over 1,000 cats and dogs enter our three county animal shelters annually. They have another chance at a loving home, but sadly, some 30 to 40 percent are euthanized when shelters run out of time and space.
Northern Neckers have big hearts when it comes to pets. Dr. Vicki Kinsel of Lancaster, to name one, has rescued many a needy pet including Jasper. Her story is one of compassion. Kinsel relates “I saw an old dog wandering on a highway near Warsaw. I pulled my car over; he jumped in and fell asleep. People said he had been on the streets for weeks. He had no collar, was exhausted, dirty, and very thin so I took him home. After weeks of food and rest, he emerged as a good-natured, affectionate hound who loved sleeping in the sun. He lived here for three years before he passed of old age.”
But for each happy ending, there are many more heart-wrenching ones. Animal Control Officers (ACOs) work tirelessly to save adoptable dogs and cats by working with local and regional rescues. The fact remains however, that the Northern Neck shelters combined have one of the highest euthanasia rates in the Commonwealth.
The tragic part is that many of these helpless animals were healthy and well-behaved and could have become beloved family pets.
This high euthanasia rate happens because there is a steady influx of unwanted and homeless animals. Not enough staff. Not enough room. Not enough county funding. Not enough adoptions.
The nonprofit Animal WelfareLeague of the Northern Neck (AWL) understands the breadth of theproblem. They help save the strays, the abandoned, the old, the abused, and the surrendered cats and dogs that end up in Northern Neck shelters.
As AWL President Judy Harvell explains “I know firsthand the need for a safe haven when public shelters are overrun with needy animals. It is heartbreaking to know that they have no place to go. State law and shelter space dictate their fate.” She goes onto say that “despite AWL’s efforts to spay and neuter incoming pets, and relocate pets to no-kill facilities, we are overwhelmed with new cases. Our foster homes are full. There is no place to put them.”
Recognizing the long-standing need here for a no-kill animal shelter, the nonprofit Northern Neck Partners for Pets (NNPP) was founded in 2014 to complement the work of ACOs and AWL. They plan to build a privately-funded animal shelter in LancasterCounty to increase adoptions and reduce the euthanasia rate. Fully outfitted to meet professional shelter standards for health and safety, the total project costs have an estimated $3,000,000 price tag.
NNPP President Terrie Dort is passionate about ending pet suffering and homelessness. “After I moved to Irvington ten years ago, I started rescuing pets from neglect or outright abuse. I’ve seen dogs tied to trees for their entire lives, dogs that go for days without food or water, and pets that are abandoned when their owners move.”
Acknowledging the critical NNPP partnership with ACOs and AWL, Dort emphasizes that “our ACOs respond rapidly and professionally but their resources are limited. And without the tireless work of AWL, innumerable more pets would have been euthanized. The NNPP shelter will offer an alternative for pets that cannot be accommodated in county shelters or foster homes.”
James Abbott, Lancaster ACO, sees the heartaches every day while working within safety and state requirements. He comments “the new shelter will be an additional resource to help us place animals in permanent homes… we are happy to see it built and will work with them in any way possible.”
The State Department of Agriculturekeeps shelter statistics but precise figures on adoptions, relocations, and deaths vary due to reporting differences.In 2016, government shelters had an average euthanasia rate of 25 percent. That’s 38,000 cats and dogs.
To address this, in 2017 the Virginia Federation of Humane Societies launched Save Virginia Pets: Crossing the No-Kill Finish Line to reduce deaths to 10 percent. This rate is the standard for no-kill shelters nationwide; only pets with terminal illnesses, severe injuries, or serious behavioral issues are euthanized.
Here at home, Lancaster and Northumberland shelters accept dogs and cats. Richmond does not operate a shelter; they transfer dogs, but not cats, to Westmoreland.
In 2016, roughly 1,090 cats and dogs were taken into our shelters. Just over 300 cats and dogs were euthanized; nearly a 30 percent kill rate.
In 2015, the total intake was 1,039. Northumberland gets high marks for an outstanding adoption rate and lowest kill rate of 10 percent. The other shelters averaged nearly 40 percent euthanized.
In taking the bold step of building the first privately funded, nonprofit no-kill animal shelter here, NNPP needs the backing and support of all animal lovers in the Northern Neck.
If you can open your heart to rescue and compassionate care, please join us,volunteer, and donate at the NNPP website northernneckpartnersforpets.org. Pets that are given another chance will thank you tenfold.