NKVA- Save Va Pets

Last year, after attending a national lifesaving conference we decided it was time to lead a statewide change. We put a stake in the ground; we would help lead our state to no kill status by 2020. To do this we committed to help other organizations reach a place where no healthy or treatable pet was euthanized in the state of Virginia.  We began working with other localities to bring in pets in an effort to save more lives, 602 to be exact in 2016.  

In 2017, we have made great strides towards setting our goals in motion. We have begun managing the Appomattox Shelter and we applied for and received a very generous, multiple year grant from the Petco foundation.  

The Petco Foundation Lifesaving Impact award will be used to assist with low cost spay/neuter and medical services, transport assistance, training, mentoring and for us to offer consulting services to other shelters. We will create No Kill VA support services to build relationships and coordinate efforts in the state to help save more companion animal’s lives.  The programs will be focused on targeted communities throughout Virginia with high euthanasia rates as well as local areas such as Pittsylvania, Campbell and Amherst counties needing additional assistance to reduce the number of pets euthanized. The $400,000 investment will be paid out in two installments of $200,000 over two years.

This is a lot of money,  but when you consider that over 37,700 pets lost their life last year in Virginia shelters and we estimate that around 15,000 of those may have lost their lives needlessly, this is just the beginning of what is needed to make a lasting difference in how Virginia pets are regarded. This is a great start but we are just skimming the top of what is needed in the state. We want to make a change, we can make a change.

I am so proud of Lynchburg because we are leading the charge to affect a real difference here in the state.  With the added responsibility of managing Pittsylvania County we are in a great place to make a huge impact.  To put this into perspective, Danville Humane Society has stated that they believe that over 50% of the pets they see at their shelter are from Pittsylvania County.  Danville Humane Society euthanized 2,706 pets, which was 78% of all the pets they took in.  This is not shared in an effort to criticize Danville but as a way to show how important our involvement will be in that area. We will bring in our lifesaving, problem-solving programs in an effort to increase the number of pets saved in that entire area.  This area is one of the 4-targeted areas of the state that change must happen in to see a positive outcome for the pets of Virginia. 

But rest assured, we will not lose sight of the needs of the pets here in our own area.  Much of this funding will be going to help shelters in our immediate area lower the number of cats they are receiving and are having to euthanize due to lack of resources.  This is why we have formed a formal relationship with local organizations like Friends of Campbell County and have begun taking in orphaned kittens, mothers with kittens and adult cats that find themselves at risk for euthanasia.  So far this year we have brought in 103 kittens/cats from Campbell County. 

We are still the Lynchburg Humane Society with most of our day-to-day programs and operational funding going to this community. We are still needing our community to continue to support our efforts locally.  We will be fundraising in Pittsylvania County in an effort to support the programs of that county.  The funds collected here still go to help Lynchburg and Appomattox pets. If you are interested in supporting our state level programs simply write NKVA on your donation and those funds will go to help bring about a No Kill VA.  Either way you are making a difference in the lives of Virginia pets and we will make sure your donation is put towards our common goal of helping to save the pets. How wonderful it will be when NKVA is a reality, with your help-it is within reach.