Montgomery County Animal Shelter is the place where stray, surrendered or abused dogs are held for the Town of Blacksburg and surrounding areas.
While every local government has an animal control facility, Montgomery County is finding its kennel overcrowded and inadequate, according to Ray Helmick, Chief of Animal Control.
The shelter has a few animal control officers that try to manage the surplus animals in the area, but relies heavily on volunteers for open adoption hours to be available and exercising the dogs.
Local humane societies, like the Animal Welfare Foster Program (AWFP), accept transfers from the pound for those dogs they think will be best to adopt out.
Anna Sims, president of AWFP, had dedicated many years to the program and loves finding foster homes for dogs that are out of time.
Sims encourages anyone interested in adopting or fostering a dog to visit the organization’s website at http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/awfp.html.
Despite the efforts of officers, volunteers, and foster programs, many dogs are euthanized in Montgomery County Animal Shelter.
While they try to keep dogs as long as they can, when there aren’t enough kennels available, euthanasia is the only solution.
As adoption drives and publicity for fostering dogs are increased, members of the local community should consider an alternative.
Not only can locals help the shelter by walking dogs or fostering, but also by pushing legislation for the funding to build a new facility, which is tantamount to the welfare of homeless dogs.
In addition to more space for less fortunate dogs, space for stray cats and kittens can be added.
There is currently no availability to house stray felines in Montgomery County.
If a new shelter were to be built in Montgomery County, there could be more kennels installed to compensate for the extreme population increase.
This will allow the animals a greater chance of adoption instead of having to undergo euthanasia.
The facility would also be equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to ensure that each dog gets the best care possible during its stay.
To help prevent an unwanted increase in the animal population in Montgomery County, Animal Control stresses the importance of spaying and neutering.
Mountain View Humane – The Waldron-Ricci Spay Neuter Clinic has recently opened in Christiansburg, solely for the purpose of sterilizing these animals.
To help guarantee that your pet will make it home safe should it be picked up by Montgomery County Animal Control, Jason Shelton, the President of Montgomery County Friends of Animal Care & Control, recommends county tags and a registered microchip.
These tags are available through Animal Control at a very low cost.
Unaltered dogs are $5 to license, while sterile dogs are $3.
The microchips are offered at Mountain View Clinic for $20.
Shelton stresses the importance of registering the chip because it is useless unless it can be connected to your name and contact information.
Montgomery County needs responsible pet owners and a new animal shelter to house the less fortunate animals in the area.
With a new facility, more animals will be rescued and re-homed.
In the words of the Pedigree Corporation, “Shelter dogs aren’t broken; they’ve simply experienced more life. If they were human, we would call them wise… Don’t pity a shelter dog, adopt one.”
