December 21, 2009
Contact: Paulette Dean (799-5306)
The Danville Area Humane Society is thrilled to announce plans to build a no-kill adoption center for Danville and Pittsylvania County adjacent to the existing city animal shelter. The plans include two large colony cat rooms, 20 additional dog runs, a room for small companion animals (including guinea pigs, birds, hamsters, etc.), adoption counseling rooms, and other administrative areas.
A capital campaign is now underway. It is expected that the adoption center will cost $750,000. Areas of the center will be named after donors, and packets of information can be requested. Gifts are tax-deductible.
The animal shelter will continue to be an open-admission shelter, and no animal will ever be turned away. Dogs and cats will be evaluated for medical and behavioral issues. If accepted into the adoption center, they will be held until they are adopted or transferred to another group.
“We believe that this new adoption center, in conjunction with our aggressive spay/neuter program in the City and County, and the recent anti-tethering ordinance in the City will better help us solve the overpopulation problem. As a result, the need for euthanasia will be decreased and many lives will be saved,” says Paulette Dean, the director of the Danville Area Humane Society.
Dean also emphasizes that this will not be the typical limited admission facility. “We will never turn away any animal. This will give us a wonderful opportunity to help even more animals.”
Lynn Shelton, president of the board of directors, states, “This is the continuation of a plan to decrease euthanasia that began many years ago. Like the anti-tethering ordinance, this adoption center is an idea whose time has come. We believe that the community will support the capital campaign, knowing that they will be helping thousands and thousands of animals in Danville and Pittsylvania County.”
The adoption center and expanded shelter will be given as a gift to the City of Danville. City Council members were notified of this plan through an e-mail announcement on Friday, December 18, 2009.