Companion animals in Chesterfield County (dogs and cats) are being killed at an astonishing rate at the very place they should expect to receive protection: The Chesterfield County Shelter!
For many involved in animal rescue operations, this is no surprise. Every Wednesday healthy dogs and cats are killed at the shelter. In addition, one local veterinarian kills puppies and kittens on behalf of the shelter on a regular basis, as noted on the invoices to Chesterfield County.
The last two annual reports to the state veterinarian reported an average of 1,423 dogs and cats killed at the Chesterfield Shelter. In each year over 700 dogs were killed. Many of these dogs and cats are perfectly healthy animals who have done nothing to deserve their fate.
There is a No Kill movement underway nationally for the United States to be a No Kill Nation by 2015. One foundation in particular, Maddie’s Fund, is a leading force in this effort. With a $300 million endowmment from the developers of Peoplesoft, Maddie’s Fund rewards humanitarian organizations, rescue groups and local shelters for making the decision to become a No Kill operation.
In the Richmond area, the Richmond SPCA and Richmond Animal Care & Control, thru the Richmond Animal Welfare Foundation, have received grants from Maddie’s Fund for 3 consecutive years. The Charlottesville-Albemarle County SPCA received a $412,000 grant from Maddie’s Fund in 2008. Hanover County is completing their first full calendar year as a No Kill Shelter in 2009.
Richard Avanzino, President of Maddie’s Fund, was at the forefront of the No Kill movement as the head of the San Francisco SPCA. Upon learning of the success that Mr. Avanzino was having in San Francisco, the head of the Richmond SPCA, Robin Starr, went to California to find out what he was doing to enable San Francisco to achieve the highest “save rate” in the country. Under his mentorship, Robin Starr has been able to partner with Richmond Animal Care and Control and create, according to Mr. Avanzino, the most perfect model of what he established in San Francisco that he has seen in the U.S.
There is nothing the City of Richmond, the Richmond SPCA, Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA, Hanover County, San Francisco, CA or Tompkins County, NY have accomplished that is beyond the reach of Chesterfield County. The only thing lacking in Chesterfield is the willingness and leadership committed to not killing healthy dogs and cats, including feral cats.
The model has been created. All we have to do in Chesterfield County is duplicate the successful model used by so many others all across America.
