CRAIG COUNTY, Va. – Craig County dogs in crisis will no longer need to be left in the elements.
Tami and Zane Quesenberry created HOMERS (Humane Outdoor Mobile Emergency Relief Shelters) which are doghouses carved out of plastic 55-gallon barrels. The Quesenberries and students from Virginia Tech's Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine assembled 100 HOMERS on Friday to help dogs in crisis.
"Animals are helpless," said Zane Quesenberry. "They're put in our care and we should do the best we can for them."
Craig County does not have an animal shelter, which means any animals discovered in dangerous situations in the county have nowhere to go.
"They seize animals but they have to leave them in place, and some of these animals are living in horrible conditions," said Quesenberry. "They can't do anything about it. A dog looks to you for help."
The Quesenberries were inspired to start building HOMERS after seeing a dog left out in the cold four months ago. Half of the HOMERS assembled will go to the Craig County Sheriff's Office and the other half will be spread out to different animal rescue groups that need them.
"Animals can't go to the store," Quesenberry said. "We need to help them as much as we can."