Hundreds of shelter animals saved by Best Friends Network

Hundreds of shelter animals saved by Best Friends Network.

Working through the Best Friends Network, an impromptu coalition of rescue groups and caring individuals was able to organize quickly and save nearly 300 animals targeted for euthanasia at an overcrowded, dilapidated shelter in rural West Virginia.

Local government officials in June told the Mason County Animal Shelter Group that they would not renew their contract with the private rescue, which was running the county facility as a no-kill shelter.

Acting on advice from the Humane Society of the United States, county commissioners said they would begin euthanizing animals to alleviate overcrowding. They gave shelter director Angela Roach a deadline of August 14.

At the time, there were 250 dogs and 54 cats at the shelter. The county planned to reduce those numbers to 50 and 36, respectively.

After hearing of the shelter’s plight, Best Friends’ Laura Allen brought the resources of the Best Friends Network to bear. The grassroots effort grew quickly after a news story was posted on the Network home page and a message to members was broadcast.

The Network became a platform for volunteers, rescue groups and the public to be kept abreast of what the shelter needed and ways that individuals could help. There were reports from the frontlines – real-time updates of how many animals were place, a wish list of supplies needed, and information on where the pets were headed.

By August 20 – just a couple of weeks into the crusade – every cat and all but a dozen or so dogs were placed.

County commissioners, seeing the progress being made, backed off the HSUS recommendations and offered to extend the deadline. Now, Best Friends and local advocates are working with the commission to keep the shelter viable.

Allen said the Network was able to foster “a sense of urgency.”

“It took me by surprise that within a few days of our first member message, Network story and just some phone calls and e-mails, they moved over 100 dogs. Area rescues and others got involved and we formed a group that had phone conferences periodically and continued to work on placements, transports and clean-up of the shelter. Best Friends had two committed members who helped a lot – Doc Wheeler and Tracey Smith, who was there at the shelter.

“We had people as far away as South Dakota and Minnesota offer to take dogs. The group A Forever Home in Virginia took over 50 dogs and helped with the massive clean-up. Furry Friends jumped in and kept the Petfinder listings updated and helped organize transports. Parkersburg Humane Society, which is nearby, came and helped with clean-up and took dogs. People and groups from all over the country helped organize transports.”

Best Friends is donating a computer and digital camera, and hopes to help create a volunteer network to support the shelter in animal care, fostering, adoptions and also work on spay/neuter and community education.