A new Rockingham County Animal Shelter is $50,000 closer to reality

Bob and Debbie Shearer are bona fide animal lovers. They live on a farm several miles southwest of Reidsville with their dog and four cats.

“We have a deep love of animals,“ Debbie said.

Cherokee, a German short-haired pointer, had been in more than one shelter and was “begging for a home” when they adopted the dog from an animal shelter in Pennsylvania. The Shearers moved from Pennsylvania to North Carolina about 10 years ago when VF Corp., where Bob works as the chief financial officer, moved its headquarters to Greensboro. A couple of years later, they began living on the Rockingham County farm.

“When we moved to the farm, we realized that there was a need for an animal shelter because strays were coming around,“ Debbie said. One of the Shearers’ cats, Buffy, is a stray.

“He came onto the farm about three years ago and was quite persistent, so my husband said, ‘OK, you can join the crew,‘“ Debbie said. The Shearers have three other cats - Grady, Odell and Si.

When they learned that the county was going to build a new animal shelter, Debbie said they were “happy to help.“ The Shearers have pledged to contribute $50,000 to the Rockingham County Animal Shelter Campaign to make sure stray animals such as Buffy find a home.

“We wanted to help in the education of animal care, in the hopes that people will get their animals spayed or neutered to alleviate the problem of strays,“ Debbie said. “We’re also concerned that people get their animals the proper shots they need.“

Julie Swanner, fundraising campaign manager for the Rockingham County Animal Shelter, said the Shearers aren’t the type of people who write a check and forget about the cause.

“They’re unique because they want to see it happen and they’re willing to volunteer their time,“ Swanner said. She said the Shearers came to the first open house for the fundraiser campaign and Debbie volunteered at a bluegrass fundraising concert for the campaign.

“We will be naming a part of the building after them,“ Swanner said. “We’re just really inspired and motivated by this big contribution. It really helps us plan what we’re going to be able to do.“

The new 10,000-square-foot shelter is scheduled to open in 2010 on county property along Cherokee Camp Road. Swanner said Rockingham County has pledged $800,000 for the “basic shelter.“ The county’s board of commissioners will discuss financing for the animal shelter at its meeting Monday evening. The board will also re-appoint the animal shelter committee chair and vice chair.

The ultimate fundraising goal is $900,000 for a “dream” animal shelter, but the campaign is just trying to raise as much money as possible. The money raised in the campaign will be used for amenities, such as a spay-and-neuter clinic

and an adoption center, which, Swanner said, are essential in decreasing the shelter’s euthanasia rate and alleviating the animal overpopulation in the county.

“At the new shelter, they are planning to have a specific area for people to spend some time with the animals before they decide to adopt them,“ Debbie said. Shelter Director Caroline Sanders is looking forward to having a “more adoption-focused facility.“

“Adoption rates have been down for a while,“ Sanders said. “We’re getting a lot more animal surrenders because the owners can’t take care of them.“

Sanders said the veterinary hospital has reduced the shelter’s business hours to save money. That cuts back on the amount of time shelter workers can spend with the animals. Sanders looks forward to having a shelter with more room, so she can hold the animals for longer periods of time. Because of space restrictions, the current shelter can house the animals for only a short period, so the euthanasia rate is high.

“The animals can only be held for 72 hours. The animals have very little chance of being adopted,“ Swanner said. “There just aren’t enough homes for all the animals that come through the shelter.“

Swanner said the new shelter would have four times the capacity of the current shelter. It also would have a separate area for animals that are sick so diseases won’t spread to the other animals.

The next fundraiser for the Rockingham County Animal Shelter Campaign is a wine and cheese tasting scheduled for Feb. 7 from 3 to 6 p.m. at Autumn Creek Vineyards in Mayodan. To make a contribution to the animal shelter campaign, visit http://www.rockingham-

countyanimalshelter.org.

• Staff writer Miranda Baines can be reached at or 349-4331, ext. 35.