ROANOKE, Va. – Thanks to people in the community and other rescue organizations, animals at the Regional Center For Animal Care And Protection are no longer at risk of being put down.
Earlier this week, the facility announced it was at full capacity, leaving nearly 40 animals at risk of being euthanized.
In less than a week, the Roanoke Valley community helped to save dozens of animals at the RCACP by making room for potential runaway pets during the Fourth of July weekend.
“With 97 animals leaving, we definitely have some breathing room so that if your animal gets lost over the holiday weekend we can get it back to you and nobody else in the shelter should be in jeopardy. It’s been just a blessing, I don’t know how to describe it any better, just a blessing from the community,” said RCACP interim executive director Mike Warner.
Fourteen of those animals were picked up by their owners after being held as strays, 20 were adopted and63 cats and dogs were taken in by other shelters in the area, like Angels of Assisi, Roanoke SPCA and the Franklin County Humane Society.
“We worked with them to not only pull animals from them, but people who were surrendering animals were able to bring them here, to Angels of Assisi versus going to the regional center,” said Angels of Assisi executive director Lisa O’Neill.
Even with other shelters helping to take in animals from RCACP, facilities across the region are struggling with an influx of animals.
“This is an ongoing issue. We need people to be responsible for their pets. If you’re missing a pet, go look at the facilities that house them. It’s not just an out of the blue thing this is constant. it’s just right now it’s kind of bubbled up and exploding,” said Director of Franklin County Humane Society, Anita Scott.
To help the facilities they recommend volunteering, fostering, donating pet supplies or adopting.