Since 2006, FACC has helped to improve the lives of shelter dogs by increasing adoption rates, socializing dogs, and funding veterinary care. You can help by adopting your next dog from the shelter, volunteering with FACC, or donating money or wish list items.
FACC improves the lives of dogs at the shelter by:
- Helping staff the county shelter during open hours, socializing dogs, and assisting in adoptions
- Funding veterinary care for dogs in need
- Ensuring that dogs adopted form the shelter are spayed and neutered
- Working with other local and regional rescue organizations to place adoptable dogs and ease overcrowding at the shelter
- Raising awareness in Montgomery County regarding pet overpopulation in Montgomery County and promoting the building of a new animal shelter
Before FACC began working with the county facility, euthanasia rates were high and the number of dogs reclaimed, adopted, or transferred to rescue organizations was low. Since FACC began officially working with the county facility in 2006, these rates have dramatically improved. A comparison of shelter statistics from 2004 and from 2012 shows the following:
- Euthanasia rates decreased from 54% in 2004 to 8.5% in 2012
- Rates of dogs reclaimed, adopted, or transferred increased from 44% to over 87%
These rates are considerably better than the average rates of all County facilities in Virginia. On average, over 31% of dogs entering a County facility in Virginia were euthanized in 2012 and only 65% were reclaimed, adopted, or transferred.
Statistics for Virginia’s animal shelters are available on line at the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services web site: http://www.vi.virginia.gov/vdacs_ar/cgi-bin/Vdacs_search.cgi.