The mission of Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society is to find homes for dogs and cats that, through no fault of their own, wind up at the Vance County Animal Shelter. RCAPS is in its 10th year of work in Vance County, and Brandon Boyd told Bill Harris on Tuesday’s Town Talk that a new facility is almost ready to further the RCAPS mission.
The construction phase is nearly complete to transform the former animal shelter facility on Vance Academy Road into a low cost spay and neuter clinic for dogs and cats.
Boyd said being a responsible pet owner can be expensive – from food and vet visits to spay and neuter procedures. But spaying and neutering is the best way to reduce the unwanted pet population, he said. And this low-cost clinic is one step toward supporting pet owners in this effort.
The weekly trips that RCAPS van driver James Jackson makes up the Northeast corridor takes adoptable animals as far away as New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania to find homes. It’s all possible through the generosity of local donors, Boyd said. From the weekly gas fillups from Rose Oil to videographer Dawn Hedgepeth who posts on Facebook Live each dog being crated and loaded on the van for their “freedom ride,” Boyd said he is thankful and appreciative of the local support that RCAPS enjoys.
“Ruin Creek is volunteer-strong and donor-supported,” he said. “Donors are the ones that make it possible.”
But when demand for companion animals – especially cats – there needs to be a different plan of action. “The (shelter’s) cat room has been full,” Boyd said, adding that the shelter staff and RCAPS has been working hard to find adoptive homes for them.
The spay and neuter clinic will hopefully be an avenue for residents to help reduce the unwanted pet population. “It’s a service we’re going to be able to provide to the citizens of Vance County,” Boyd said.
He called the feral cat situation in Vance County “rampant.”
“We’re very, very excited about it…within months, I hope we’re able to see the impact of this (clinic).”
He invited area vet techs and veterinarians to reach out to RCAPS at info@rcaps.org to learn more about how they can help with the clinic.
