Thanks to a local volunteer firefighter, the animals up for rescue or adoption at Vance County Animal Services may get some extra “likes” that just might land them in their furever home.
Lightning, a male lab mix, is the first animal to be named “Firedog of the Month” on the Facebook page of Watkins Volunteer Fire Department.
Frankie Nobles, Vance County’s chief animal services officer, said “there’s no telling how many people have seen him” since his picture was first posted a few days ago.
Nobles told John C. Rose on Monday’s The Local Skinny! that he gives all the credit to volunteer firefighter Justin Simmons. It was his idea to feature an adoptable pet from the animal shelter on social media to spread the word about the animals.
It’s a great way to “get the animals recognized and get them out of the shelter,” Nobles said. Just last week, the shelter took in more than 30 kittens; luckily, one rescue organization wanted every single one, and Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society was able to transport them last Friday evening.
Having volunteers like Simmons who think outside the box are certainly helpful as the shelter gets more and more animals, whether they come in as strays or as owner surrenders, as in Lightning’s case.
He said volunteers are welcome at the shelter and their efforts go a long way to socialize animals and prepare them for adoption or rescue.
“Volunteers can get out and walk them – it really helps them out a lot,” Nobles said.
He and his staff are making plans to take puppies or dogs on visits to other county offices and to get the dogs more visible in the community with walks downtown, for example.
It helps the dogs expend some energy, gets them out of their kennels for a bit and – who knows – maybe they’ll find a new home in the process.
Find a photo of Lightning on the Watkins Volunteer Fire Department’s Facebook page and stay tuned for the next Firedog of the Month.
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