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Humane Society/SPCA of Nelson County
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Once a Dream...Now A Reality! Giving Them a Chance to Live... Our Mission… The Humane Society/SPCA of Nelson County (HS/SPCA) strives to improve animal welfare by providing care and adoption of "unwanted" companion animals through: our "no-kill" adoption center, foster care networks, satellite adoption venues, and Kitten & Puppy Rescue/Transport Programs; by funding veterinary services and education programs; and, by controlling over-population through low-cost Spay-Neuter-Vaccinate and Feral Cat Trap/Neuter/Release programs. Our goal is to extend the no-kill philosophy throughout our county, so that no healthy, non-aggressive animal is euthanized. Animals being surrendered by their owners are accepted on a space available basis, if they are judged to be adoptable. Animals are also selected from unclaimed or unwanted animals at the Nelson County Animal Control Facility after they are evaluated by the HS/SPCA and judged to be adoptable. Strays will continue to go through the Animal Control Facility. No animal will be put down unless it is judged to be dangerously aggressive or untreatably ill. The HS/SPCA (also known as the Almost Home Pet Adoption Center) now has several part-time employees but still relies heavily on volunteer help. Because of our efforts here at Almost Home, thousands of animals have been saved and are now living in permanent homes. A Little History… In 1981, a small group of dedicated animal lovers successfully achieved incorporation status for the Humane Society of Nelson County. Some time later the name was officially changed to the Humane Society/SPCA of Nelson County. Nelson County’s Animal Control Facility, located at the site of the landfill in Arrington, Virginia, was not open to the public on a regular basis, and there were few or no adoptions. Thus, the HS/SPCA Board members began volunteering their time to open the facility on Wednesdays and Sundays. Their efforts resulted in about a 2% adoption rate. In October 1991, Nelson County contracted the HS/SPCA to manage the Animal Control Facility. The HS/SPCA made many improvements to the facility, and opened it to the public on a daily basis. When the HS/SPCA and the County terminated the contract in March l998, the adoption rate was at 40%. From 1998 through March 2004, the HS/SPCA continued to rescue animals and find homes for them, operating from foster homes having no facility of their own. The HS/SPCA’s No-Kill facility, which was named the Almost Home Pet Adoption Center, was completed in April 2004. Now, seven years later, more than 5,000 animals have found homes…some adopted at Almost Home Pet Adoption Center, some adopted at Pet Forum and now at Pet Supplies Plus (both pet stores in Charlottesville), some at community events, some through Breed Rescue Groups and others adopted after being transported to no-kill shelters in Northern Virginia, and other states, primarily Massachusetts and New Jersey. Five years ago, the HS/SPCA Board of Directors voted to set a goal to make the entire county a no-kill community, meaning that no healthy, friendly, adoptable animal would be euthanized at the County’s Animal Control Facility. A recent study done by the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, posted as a blog on June 6, 2011, listed Nelson County as one of seven Virginia communities that are already no kill or very close to becoming a no-kill community, all saving more than 80% of the animals and some closer to 90%. Calculations showed that the HS/SPCA and the Nelson County Animal Control facility, working closely together in 2010, saved 87% of the animals. This “save rate” requires a tremendous amount of resources...in time, money and effort. We are proud of this achievement and with your continued support, we will strive for a 90% or greater save rate in the coming years. Our Almost Home No-Kill Pet Adoption Center…
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