Alan Hedgepeth and Michelle Wood, volunteers with the Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society (RCAPS), were the guests of honor on Tuesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program. RCAPS is a group of volunteers dedicated to finding homes for animals at the Vance County Animal Shelter located on Brodie Rd. in Henderson.
“We started with seven or eight volunteers and, over time, have developed procedures to work with rescue groups in the Northeast,” said Hedgepeth.
According to Hedgepeth, the volunteers spend the majority of their time searching for no-kill rescue groups who will commit to providing a temporary or “foster” home for the animals at the shelter. “We find rescue groups during the week, and each Friday night a transport is arranged so the animals can go to the approved rescue groups up north.”
From there, rescue groups place the animals in “pre-approved and pre-screened” foster homes where they will stay until they are adopted.
When asked why so many of the rescue groups were located up north, Hedgepeth replied, “In the Northeast, they have spay and neuter laws, and those laws are enforced. They don’t have the overpopulation of dogs like we do here in the South.”
One way RCAPS reaches out to the rescue groups is via social media. Photos of each animal in the shelter are posted, along with personal bios and videos, to Facebook for viewing.
“It is a very cumbersome and expensive process,” said Hedgepeth. “Michelle does a lot of the work and has her hands full.”
According to Hedgepeth, weekly transport can cost over $1,000 a week. “That’s why fundraising is so important for us; it costs a lot of money to do what we do.”
Wood reported that 195 animals were transported from the Vance County Animal Shelter to rescue groups in the month of October alone. Hedgepeth said the overall totals are even more astounding with an estimated 16,000 to 20,000 animals placed in foster homes since the group started in 2011.
The group’s hard work, coupled with policies put in place by Chief Frankie Nobles and the Vance County Animal Shelter, has paid off, said Hedgepeth. “When we first started at Ruin Creek, the intake at the shelter was around 4,500 animals a year. Last year, I believe it was around 2,200.”
Hedgepeth was also happy to report that the number of animals euthanized by the shelter has significantly decreased from previous years. “The majority of euthanized animals, at this point, are feral cats; the dog rate is extremely low.”
Wood clarified that the majority of the dogs that are euthanized are not picked up by a rescue group or are injured beyond vet care.
In addition to costs related to transport, RCAPS also has the expense of providing medical care to animals in need. “RCAPS tries to provide medical care for any animal that we reasonably believe can be saved,” said Hedgepeth. “The shelter, often times, doesn’t have the capacity or funds to offer this care and that’s when we step in.”
When asked what his ultimate wish would be for the group, Hedgepeth responded, “Additional funds. I can’t say it enough! The work we do is expensive, and fundraising is essential to keep the group going.”
To listen to the interview in its entirety, please click here.