About Giles Animal Rescue
Giles Animal Rescue, Inc. mission is: to help homeless, neglected, and abused pets in Giles County; when needed, to place as many animals into homes or rescue organizations as possible; to offer assistance with spaying and neutering of pets in low income families; to encourage the Giles County shelter (pound) to comply with all local, state, and federal laws and regulations; and to offer education to the community on the importance of spay/neuter, adoption, and other pet-related topics.
The group was founded in 1999 to provide regular open visitation hours to the public in hopes of increasing the chances that the shelter animals of Giles County will be adopted instead of euthanized. The Giles County Animal Shelter is under jurisdiction of Giles County Sheriff Dept., not GAR. From 1999 to 2013, our group volunteered at the shelter at the invitation of the Giles County Board of Supervisors, the Sheriff’s Dept and Giles County Animal Control. Our volunteers have never operated the shelter and do not have an actual building. We rely on foster homes and rescue groups to house pets we rescue.
Our volunteers used to take pictures of animals at the shelter to publish in local newspapers and post to various media outlets in hopes of increasing interest in pets available for adoption. In addition, we placed as many shelter pets as possible with other approved rescue groups in more populated areas that are able to take in our county’s many unwanted pets. We organize, finance, and provide transportation so that more companion animals can be saved and have a chance at a good life. The current shelter management doesn't allow volunteers to continue with this work anymore, as of June 1st, 2013, even though with our help, we were saving over 85% of dogs each year and nearly 50% of cats (in 2012).
Our group continues to campaign about the importance of Spay/Neuter. We work with local vets to provide as many low-cost spay/neuters as possible for families with limited incomes. We are currently campaigning through various media outlets throughout the county to promote Spay/Neutering as we feel this is the primary answer to our county’s major pet overpopulation problem, as well as promoting pet adoption from local shelters. We continue to take as many pets as we can; pets which are homeless, neglected, or abused and place them into homes or rescues.
We were founded and incorporated in 1999 and remain a 501 (c)(3) charity. We continue to encourage the County Animal Shelter (pound) to comply with local, state and federal laws and regulations, which includes, they must hold open hours to the public (Va state law).
We continue to attempt to work with the county, to modernize the shelter and to relocate it in an area of the county with easier access to the public.
Our Philosophy
All creatures, great and small, shall be treated fairly and humanely. We shall work towards eliminating irresponsible breeding, irresponsible ownership, and animal suffering through education and humane programs.