About the Rockingham County Animal Shelter Campaign

The Rockingham County Animal Shelter Campaign is devoted to building the animals of Rockingham County, NC the shelter they deserve and, subsequently, reducing the county’s staggering 80% euthanasia rate.

Rockingham County plans to open a new 10,000 square foot animal shelter facility in 2010. The County Board of Commissioners is committed to funding a very basic, bare bones shelter. In order to thwart the county’s pet overpopulation epidemic long-term, several features (particularly an adoption wing, bonding area, and spay and neuter clinic), must be included in the design. These additional features must be funded through private donations.
To make a donation, please click here.

The Tragic Facts
Due to financial constraints, Rockingham County has never had a true animal shelter, only a small holding and recovery facility that is contracted through a local veterinary hospital. The conditions are sanitary and the animals receive love and respect from the dedicated staff and volunteers, but the building itself is far from adequate. The facility simply cannot withstand the strain of the County’s pet overpopulation.

Consider these facts:
• The current euthanasia rate is 80%; it has been as high as 98%.
• Thousands of animals are euthanized each year.
• The current facility only has 20 dog runs and 17 cat cages, but it often shelters an average of 40-50 dogs and 30-40 cats at any given time.
• Due to the facility’s low capacity, animals are usually held for only 72 hours, leaving virtually no chance for them to be adopted or reclaimed by their family.
• The current facility has no separate unit to isolate sick cats and dogs. Animals that are ill are immediately euthanized.
• The atmosphere of the current facility is not conducive for human-animal bonding or adoption. There are no areas for introduction of animals to their potential owners separate from the distraction of noisy kennels and cages.
• In 2010, the NC DOT will demolish the current facility in order to widen the adjacent roadway, leaving Rockingham County with no facility for housing stray, abandoned, or abused animals.

A Shelter for Rockingham County          

Proposed Shelter Features Include:
• Four times the current capacity (providing separation between animals, reduction in disrupting and stressful noise, and longer than 72 hour holds)
• Separate adoption wing and bonding areas (encouraging adoption and allowing animals to be introduced to their potential owners separate from the distraction of noisy kennels and cages)
• Training/Education area (enabling the staff and volunteers to host adoption and fundraising events and promote responsible pet ownership through seminars)
• Separate HEPA filtered isolation and quarantine units (reducing the spread of disease and threat of aggressive animals)
• Spay and Neuter Clinic (providing low cost spay and neuter services to the community)

Click here to see the proposed floorplan.

Private donations are necessary to make the proposed shelter a reality.  The campaign has raised over $120,000 in private donations, but we need much more!   Click here to find out how you can help.