 Jim Ridolphi
Pet adoption odds increased by partnership
For years, the Hanover Animal Control Department has worked closely with the Richmond SPCA in numerous areas regarding animal welfare. That relationship is now more official as Hanover’s Board of Supervisors approved a measure establishing a formal agreement between the two agencies at a recent meeting.
The Richmond facility, one of the largest in the nation, will assist Hanover in placing healthy and treatable animals for adoption in an effort to prevent euthanization of healthy pets.
Robin Starr, president of the RSPCA, said the two agencies are not strangers. “We have worked together and come along way,” she said.
Kevin Kilgore, Hanover County Animal Control officer, also said Hanover has a long standing working relationship with the RSPCA.
“They have assisted us in the last few years with the placement of animals,” Kilgore said. “Our facilities are smaller than the amount of animals we deal with.
The RSPCA has given us a tremendous resource to help the citizens,” he added.
He noted Hanover’s long love affair with animals, citing the horse community and the number of hunting dogs.
Kilgore estimates there are 125,000 owned dogs and cats in the county. With an ever-tightening economy, Kilgore said many of those animals are in danger.
The current Hanover facility holds about 150 to 200 animals. The agency takes in more than 4,000 animals annually, so there is an obvious problem in Hanover County.
That’s where the RSPCA feels it can play a large role — the elimination of the need to euthanize healthy or adoptable animals due to space limitations.
“Over the past three years we have been forced to euthanize almost 4,000 animals. More than 4,200 animals were returned home or placed in the same period.
“Some of these animals could have been saved if we had a little more room,” Kilgore said.
Over the past three years, the RSPCA has assisted Hanover by taking dogs to their facility for placement. “It’s an incredible facility and one of the better run I’ve ever seen,” Kilgore said.
He said those placements relieves pressure on his department’s resources and allows them to better care for the animals in their facility. In addition, the RSPCA has provided valuable training for the Hanover staff, according to Kilgore.
“What we have is already a great relationship, but this agreement will mean that Hanover County will be in the spotlight, will be the priority for this great organization,” Kilgore said.
Ultimately, the goal of both agencies is to save animals and create more humane conditions, a point emphasized by Starr.
“It is my belief that now we are working in this partnership together, we will be able to save every healthy homeless animal here in Hanover within a year,” she said. “I look forward to that and think it’s very doable because of the good work that Kevin Kilgore and his staff have already done,” she added.
The board unanimously approved the agreement, effective immediately.
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