Franklin County shelters at capacity, encouraging pet-lovers to adopt

The Franklin County Humane Society has more than 300 pets in their care

ROCKY MOUNT, Va. – The Franklin County Humane Society and the Franklin County Animal Shelter are completely full, and they’re asking anyone who is looking for a pet to consider adopting.

The Franklin County Humane Society has more than 300 pets in its care.

“It is a challenge. They’re not all in the building, some are in foster care. But we do have quite a few here and we still have people every day wanting to bring new animals to us,” said Anita Scott, the director of the Franklin County Humane Society.

With around 50 dogs and 130 cats on site, the Humane Society is packed with pups and crawling with kittens, all in need of forever homes.

“There are kittens that are growing up here when they should be in a home chasing toys. There are puppies here, older dogs that have been waiting for a while,” Scott added.

One of the older dogs is 5-year-old Gunner, whose sweet stride made him a fan favorite among the staff. He’s just one of many who are waiting to be adopted.

“It seems like last year’s adoptions slowed down quite a bunch and this year has continued the same trend,” Scott said.

A trend that is becoming direr for the shelters in Rocky Mount. The Franklin County Animal Shelter is also full.

“When we’re out of room, shelters that depend on us, shelters that have to make that hard decision to euthanize just due to space, we are unable to answer that call,” Scott said.

The shelter is hoping to highlight these pets so their future families will give them a place to call home.

If you’re not looking for a new pet but want to help, you can volunteer or donate.

The Humane Society is also hiring one full-time and two part-time employees. You can learn more about employment by contacting the shelter at (540) 489-3491.

You can find other pets up for adoption through 10 News’ Clear The Shelters.


About the Author:

Alyssa Rae grew up in Roanoke and graduated from Virginia Tech. An avid sports fan, she spent her first 8 years in TV as a sports anchor and reporter.