How You Can Help Rural Animal Shelters

I started by searching PetFinder.com and came across Hugo, a 6-year-old 140lb. mastiff mix at the local shelter. He was incredibly cute and was the same size and age as George. While part of me was a little concerned about getting an older dog, I felt good about giving an old dog a shot at comfort in his golden years.

We live in a rural area of Virginia in the mountains. As such, there are no large shelters and very few rescue groups. If you want a dog, you go to the pound. My husband and I headed to the shelter, about 45 minutes from the house, to meet Hugo. I admit that I don't like going to pounds. They make me feel sad and very guilty. I end up wanting to take every dog home. I had to be practical.

As we pulled up to the facility, I was pleasantly surprised at how well kept the grounds were. The shelter was nestled in the valley with mountains on all sides. There are plenty of parking. We headed inside to find a very friendly, accommodating staff. I had called prior to showing up, so they had Hugo ready for us.

His kennel was very clean and the area where the dogs were housed barely smelled "doggy". It was a small facility with 6 kennels on each side. Maximum capacity: 12 dogs unless they doubled up. Hugo was dirty but had a great temperament and was very playful. We headed to their fenced outdoor area. It was small, but also very clean. We played with Hugo for a while and immediately fell in love with him.

We met him on a Friday, but had a meeting in DC on Saturday and the shelter happily agreed to hold on to him until Sunday. We paid the $40 adoption fee and I gave them a donation because the fee was so little and they obviously needed help.

Why did this shelter need help? Here's the catch. Because the shelter is so small, they can hold onto dogs for only 7 days. That means that if a dog isn't adopted within 7 days - it's euthanized.

Rural shelters are notorious for being underfunded. Some still euthanize using gas. And I've heard of a few using a shotgun for population control. Unthinkable, I know. But it happens.

This shelter was very well run which is one of the reasons that I wanted to help them. I am currently gathering supplies to help offset their costs.

Here are a few things that you can do to help your shelter if you live in a rural community.

• Adopt from them. If you are going to add a pet to your family, stop by the shelter. They have wonderful animals and the pet you adopt makes room so another can be saved.
  
• Make a monetary donation. Shelters need money in order to purchase supplies, equipment and expand.
• Volunteer. Poorly funded shelters are understaffed. Offer to clean cages or walk dogs.
• Donate supplies. Most shelters have a wish list, but donations usually include paper towels, old bath towels, old blankets, bleach, etc. If you are unsure what they need - ask.
• Transport. Often dogs in rural shelters have no way of getting to populated areas. Offer to drive a few dogs to an adoption event in the city. Find a few friends to help you out. It will be a fun day and you'll get to help a few dogs find loving homes.
• Organize an adoption day. If the shelter agrees, help them organize and promote a local adoption day. Some people may not know about the shelter. Help bring the dogs to the people.

By helping out a rural shelter, you can help a dog find a home that may not have been given the chance otherwise.