Tag Archive for: #vancecountyanimalshelter

Vance County Animal Shelter Cleared; All Inhabitants Find Homes

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Vance County Animal Services Chief Frankie Nobles appeared on WIZS Town Talk Monday at 11 a.m.

Nobles was pleased to announce a first in his over 10 years of service with the Vance County Animal Shelter – a complete clearing by either rescue, fostering or adoption of all animals this past weekend.

“It’s never been completely empty since I’ve been here,” said Nobles. “We are excited. We got every animal to a home, and it was an amazing weekend.”

Nobles said it was a combination of the hard work of shelter staff and volunteer organizations, and fewer animals being taken in during COVID-19 restrictions, that made this possible.

You can listen to the interview here from WIZS Radio.

The shelter is currently responding to emergency calls only, such as injured or aggressive animals, and has used some of the downtime for needed shelter maintenance.

“We’ve worked so hard to get to the point of clearing the shelter. When COVID-19 happened, that was our time to catch up and get ahead of the ballgame. It’s getting to be summertime, and that’s when we see most of our animals coming in,” Nobles said.

Nobles explained such a feat would not be possible without volunteer organizations such as the Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society of Henderson, NC. “We joke around here and call ourselves the dream team just because we are a big team of people that work well together, and it works like a dream.”

To hear the interview with Nobles in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

Town Talk 12/02/19: Free Adoptions at Vance Co. Animal Shelter!

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Frankie Nobles, Chief of Vance County Animal Services, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Monday at 11 a.m.

Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, Nobles was happy to announce that adoption fees at the Vance County Animal Shelter have been covered for harder-to-adopt, large-breed adult dogs and cats now through December 23, 2019.

“We are offering free adoption for the community for adult dogs and cats. This does not include puppies, kittens and smaller breeds because they are easier for us to adopt,” Nobles said.

Those interested in adoption will still need to complete the application process which includes a vet check and landlord approval (if applicable).

“The application process will still need to be completed to ensure the animal is going to a good home,” explained Nobles. “Once the application process is completed and approved, pets that are already spayed or neutered will be able to go home that day. If they are not, an appointment will be made with a vet and the new owner can pick their pet up after the appointment.”

On any given day, Nobles approximates 40 dogs and 10-15 cats are available for adoption and are in need of a good, loving home.

The adoption fee is typically $150 for dogs and $100 for cats. Fee includes the spay or neuter procedure (if not already completed), microchipping and other tests and treatments.

According to Nobles, there has already been increased interest since the recent free adoption announcement; however, he cautions those who are looking for a new pet to fully consider the implications prior to making such a large commitment.

“Make sure you are ready for cleaning up after them and feeding them. You need to make sure you are financially ready to provide for them. If you aren’t ready for that, you aren’t ready for a life change. It is a life-changing experience when you bring an animal home,” stated Nobles.

The Vance County Animal Shelter is located at 1243 Brodie Road in Henderson. Hours of operation are Mondays from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The shelter is closed on Fridays and Sundays.

Please visit www.vancecountyanimalshelter.com or the shelter’s Facebook page for more information.

To hear the interview with Nobles in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk. Nobles’ segment begins at the 11:30 mark. 

Friends of the Vance Co. Animal Shelter Organizing Brodie Rd. Trash Pick Up Day

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-Information courtesy Cathy E. Renn, Friends of the Vance Co. Animal Shelter

Friends of the Vance County Animal Shelter is organizing a trash pick up day on Brodie Road in Henderson on Saturday, March 30, 2019, from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. Participants should meet at the shelter, located at 1243 Brodie Rd., by 9 a.m.

Safety vests, gloves, pick-up sticks and bags will be provided to participants.

Those interested in attending can visit the Friends of the Vance County Animal Shelter’s Facebook page (click here) to indicated that they are “going” to the event.

For more information, please contact Frankie Nobles, chief of Vance Co. Animal Services at (252) 492-3136.

In case of rain, the event will be rescheduled for Saturday, April 6.

Animal Shelter to Hold Dog Walk for Veterans & First Responders

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Mark Ferri, veteran and Vance County Animal Shelter volunteer, was on Monday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss the shelter’s upcoming Veterans Dog Walk event.

The event – Paws, Tails and Boots – will be held at the shelter, located at 1243 Brodie Rd. in Henderson, on Saturday, April 13, 2019, from 9:15 to 11:30 a.m.

The public is welcome, with veterans, first responders and their families strongly encouraged to attend.

Selected dogs will have leashes and collars and can be walked in two of the pastures surrounding the animal shelter. “A lot of times people will come in groups and there may be 3-4 people walking and interacting with the dog,” said Ferri. “Some like to hold competitions like who can walk the most dogs or who can walk the farthest.”

Founded by Ferri in 2016, the dog walk serves the twofold purpose of matching animals with loving owners and raising awareness of mental health issues.

Serving as a volunteer for three years, Ferri has witnessed just how many of the dogs come to the shelter with traumatic past experiences. “Animals don’t judge, they just offer a never-ending source of love and support for people even though many have been injured or abused,” said Ferri.

Traumatic experiences are something that both the dogs and many veterans and first responders have in common. Ferri, who spoke in the interview of the prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), said the interaction between dog and human is a healing experience for both.

“My understanding of PTSD is that being exposed to traumatic events can change you emotionally and can also alter your brain’s chemistry,” said Ferri. “Mental illness is a sickness, much like the flu, and should be treated as such.”

If left untreated, largely due to the stigma still surrounding the disorder, PTSD can lead to suicide. “Veterans commit suicide at a rate of 22 per day, and one first responder commits suicide every three days,” reported Ferri. “We’ve actually lost more service members to suicide than we have to casualties in Afghanistan.”

While the prescribed course of treatment for PTSD typically includes medication and cognitive therapy, Ferri said he has seen just how much caring for an animal helps with the disorder. Dogs and other pets provide companionship, acceptance and comfort, according to Ferri.

During the event, Ferri and other shelter volunteers and staff will be on-hand to answer questions and encourage participants who are eligible to commit to adopting an animal. “One of the purposes of this event is to allow the veterans and first responders to interact with the dogs to see what kind they want. They may also be better suited for a cat, and those will be available for adoption as well.”

To hear the Town Talk interview with Mark Ferri in its entirety, please click here. 

New Orleans-Themed ‘Mardi Paws’ Fundraiser to Benefit Local Animal Services

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Frankie Nobles, chief of Vance County Animal Services, was on Wednesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss the upcoming “Mardi Paws” fundraiser to be held at Kerr Lake Country Club in Henderson on Saturday, February 23, 2019, from 7 p.m. until midnight.

Hosted by West Hills Veterinary Centre, the Mardi Gras-themed event will include live music from The Soul Psychedelic Orchestra, heavy hors d’oeuvres from Henderson’s own Next Door Bistro, cocktails, a full cash bar and a silent auction.

The New Orleans-inspired menu will include a crawfish boil, shrimp & grit cakes, muffaletta, sweet & spicy corn fritters, catfish bites, Cajun fries, bread pudding & whiskey sauce and a bananas foster station.

Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased at the door the night of the fundraiser, by visiting West Hills Vet or by calling (252) 654-9738. Individual tickets are $60; $100 per couple. Each ticket includes two beer/wine tickets.

Guests are encouraged to dress accordingly in cocktail and Mardi Gras-inspired attire, complete with a mask to match the masquerade theme. This is a 21-and-over event and it is asked that you leave your pets at home.

Money raised at the fundraiser will benefit the Vance County Animal Shelter and the Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society.

Nobles said he is thankful for fundraising efforts by organizations such as West Hills Vet because his job would be “impossible” without the support of local vets and the community.

“We invite you to come out and support local animal services,” said Nobles. “It is going to be a fun night with beads, dancing and all sorts of things.”

To hear the Town Talk interview with Frankie Nobles in its entirety, please click here.

Vance Co. Animal Shelter Recipient of Three New Grants

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-Press Release, Vance County Animal Shelter

Vance County Animal Services is pleased to announce that they are a recipient of two $2,500 Spay/Neuter Grants from Community Partnership for Pets; received from The Reynolds Foundation and The Doris Day Foundation.

These grants were applied for and will be used for:

  • Spay/Neuter for pets of citizens in the community that do not qualify for the state-funded spay/neuter program.

Vance County Animal Services is also pleased to announce that they are a recipient of a $5,709 Medical Grant from Community Partnership for Pets; received from DJ&T Foundation.

This grant was applied for and will be used for:

  • Medical services deemed necessary by the veterinarian for citizens’ animal(s) at the time of spay/neuter.

These funds will help citizens in our community get their personal pets spayed/neutered to reduce the number of unwanted animals being born in the community. This will also reduce the number of animal intakes at the Vance County Animal Shelter.

Local Protection Society’s Work Reduces Number of Euthanized Shelter Animals

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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.

Vance Co. Animal Services Recipient of $10k Spay/Neuter Grant

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-Press Release, County of Vance

Vance County Animal Services is pleased to announce that they are a recipient of a $10,000 Spay/Neuter Grant from Community Partnership for Pets; received from Geo D. Patterson (GDP).

This grant was applied for and will be used for spay/neuter for pets of citizens in the community that do not qualify for the state-funded spay/neuter program.

These funds will help citizens in our community get their personal pets spayed/neutered to reduce the number of unwanted animals being born in the community. This will also reduce the number of animal intakes at the Vance County Animal Shelter.

– Frankie Nobles, Chief of Vance County Animal Services

Vance Charter Rotary Interact Club to Hold Pet Walk Fundraiser at Animal Shelter

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-Information courtesy the Vance Charter Rotary Interact Club 

The Rotary Interact Club at Vance Charter School will hold a pet walk at the Vance County Animal Shelter in Henderson on Saturday, October 27, 2018, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. to raise money for the shelter animals.

Participants will have the opportunity to walk a shelter dog for $2 per lap. All money raised benefits the shelter. You may even see a shelter animal or two in a Halloween costume.

According to Animal Control Chief Frankie Nobles, the pet walk is for animal shelter dogs only and does not include personal pets.

“The club has done a great job of planning the event and we are looking forward to it,” said Nobles.

‘Paws, Tails & Boots’ Veterans Dog Walk to Return to Vance Co. Animal Shelter

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-Information and flyer courtesy Mark Ferri

The fall Veterans Dog Walk “Paws, Tails and Boots” will be held at the Vance County Animal Shelter, 1243 Brodie Rd., Henderson, on Saturday, October 13, 2018, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

The public is welcome, with veterans and first responders strongly encouraged to attend. Participants will be walking and interacting with selected shelter dogs in an effort to provide companionship and trust-building activities.

The event was founded by veteran and Vance County Animal Shelter volunteer Mark Ferri. Ferri began the program in 2016 as a way to raise awareness of the mental health issues faced by veterans.

For more information on the Vance County Animal Shelter and their services, please visit their website at https://www.vancecounty.org/departments/animal%20control/.

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