Shenandoah Valley Animal Service Center receives grant to fund spays and neuters at the shelter

AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - The Shenandoah Valley Animal Services Center received a $25,000 grant from Petco Love to fund spays and neuters for animals that come to the center.

SVASC has received this grant in the past, allowing for the center to spay/neuter 256 cats and dogs in 2022. Jon Hillbert, shelter director of SVASC, said their goal is to match or exceed this number in the current year. He said this grant will help animals who have no history and ensure they are safe for their new home.

“These animals are unspoken for, they often times come in here with no history with their owner or background,” Hillbert said. “They were at one point in time someone’s pet and they were abandoned and now they are ours and we want to make sure that they find a good home.”

Hillbert said that the center has a “no denial policy.” They will accept any pet that is brought in and work with them to find them a new home. He also said that the services they provide are essential for the pet’s health and adoption status.

“We can’t adopt anything out that isn’t spayed or neutered, " Hillbert said. “It’s just a service to the community. We want to prevent unwanted litters, and spaying and neutering makes a healthy and adoptable pet.”

The Shelter works with a variety of animals, whether they are kittens/puppies or elder animals. They also see a mix of breeds coming in, including pure bred animals that are abandoned by their previous owners.

“For finding a pet, we’d prefer you adopt from us rather than buy from a breeder, we also get purebred animal here so it’s a misconception, a myth that we do not receive pure bred animals, we have two in here right now,” Hillbert said.

Hillbert said the center is preparing to move locations in a year and half. He said the building will go from 5000 sq. ft. to 39000 sq. ft.

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