News
Orange County Shelter Sets A High Standard For Others To Follow
November 12, 2008, 5:18PM MT
By Rick and Sarah McDonald
Great things are happening in North Central Virginia
Great things are happening in North Central Virginia
By Rick and Sarah McDonald, Best Friends Network Volunteers
We paid a visit to the Orange County Animal Shelter to meet with shelter manager, Beth Hamilton, and we thought we just had to share the information we received with the rest of the Virginia community.
Our appointment was for 1:00, and we arrived a little bit early to find Beth on the phone. According to Katrina, a senior caretaker and long-time staff member, Beth spends a lot of time just this way in her never-ending task of making life better for the homeless animals in her area.
The current shelter was opened in January of 2004, replacing a facility that wasn't much more than a trailer and a few kennels. The current facility has 50 split-run kennels with guillotine doors, 11 puppy cages, and 57 cat cages.
Katrina volunteered to show us around while we waited for our appointment with Beth. We were shown through all of the dog runs and several cat rooms. As is the case with most shelters, this one is bursting at the seams. Everything was very clean and neat; however, it was immediately obvious that the staff and volunteers at the shelter really care about the animals.
Beth began her career at the shelter in February of 2003 as an animal caretaker. By July of that year, she was the acting director, and she officially became the director of the shelter the following month. Talk about a meteoric rise!!
According to Beth the shelter works very hard to maintain a good relationship with the community and they receive valuable assistance in the form of donations, volunteers, and community projects. Beth is a direct report to the County Administrator, and she is instrumental in formulating budgets and determining the future direction of animal welfare in Orange County.
Many of the cages have plaques attached to them indicating that a community donation helped to pay for them. An outdoor exercise area was created as an Eagle Scout project by a local teenager. While we were visiting, several young ladies from the Mountain Laurel Group Home were there doing volunteer work around the shelter.
Beth told us that she has two full-time staff members and the number of part-time staffers varies from five to seven during various times of the year.
The shelter has an arrangement with local PetSmart stores in Manassas, Fredericksburg, and Culpepper to hold regularly scheduled adoptions where shelter animals can meet and greet prospective adopters.
The shelter's motto is: We care as long as it takes. They do not euthanize for space, mild illness, length of stay or breed conditions. Because of this, they occasionally experience crowded conditions.
All animals are de-wormed, spayed or neutered, and have the appropriate vaccinations prior to adoption.
As a county facility, the shelter is not allowed to solicit donations. On the other hand, community help and funding is necessary and very greatly appreciated.
See the slide show from our visit HERE and visit the Orange County Shelter website at Orange County Shelter.
Click HERE to see the shelter's informational brochure.
Volunteer with the Orange County Humane Society by calling (540) 672-0069
Photo credit: Rick McDonald, 2008