It’s time for Greenbrier County, WV, to face a hard truth: our animal welfare system is failing—and it’s failing because we haven’t given it the tools to succeed.

I’ve seen it with my own eyes, and maybe you have too.

In June, the dog in the photo was dumped near the Greenbrier River Trail in blistering heat. For a week, people left food, set humane traps, and tried to coax him to safety. But he was terrified—abandoned by his family and too scared to trust strangers. He ran deeper into the field every time someone approached. On the seventh day, he was hit and killed on Route 60. A stranger stopped, lifted his broken body, and gave him the dignity of a proper burial.

That wasn’t a rare tragedy—it’s becoming our norm. In March, I tried to help rescue four Dalmatians in Renick. They’d been left behind when their owner moved in the dead of winter. By the time we learned about them, they were skin and bones. Neighbors called for help, and their calls went unanswered. We scrambled to set traps, but by the time they arrived, it was too late. One had been shot by a neighbor while trying to survive, the others vanished.

These stories are not the result of indifference from the community—they’re the result of a system that’s stretched past the breaking point.

Our shelter is too small, too outdated, and too underfunded to meet the real needs of this county. The Greenbrier Humane Society receives about $200,000 a year from the county to run a facility that costs over $500,000 annually to operate. The math simply doesn’t work. That gap means overcrowding, inadequate disease control, and limits on basic services.

We don’t have enough kennels to house every stray, abandoned, or seized dog. We lack proper isolation and quarantine facilities to contain contagious diseases. And when Animal Control is unable to respond quickly (or at all)—whether due to staffing, resources, or inefficiencies—animals remain in dangerous situations for far too long.

We’re also failing to address the root cause of overpopulation. Without a high-volume spay/neuter program, our shelter is drowning in a constant influx of puppies and kittens. This isn’t just a strain on the shelter—it’s a drain on taxpayer resources, because we’re paying more in the long run for a problem we could prevent.

This is where the Animal Welfare Infrastructure Bond comes in.

We’re asking the Greenbrier County Commission to place this bond on the 2026 ballot so voters can decide whether to fund:

1. A modern, right-sized shelter that meets today’s needs and tomorrow’s growth.
2. Enough kennels to ensure every animal has a safe place until adoption or transfer.
3. Proper quarantine and isolation spaces to prevent devastating outbreaks.
4. A fully equipped, responsive Animal Control office that can handle emergencies and enforce the law.
5. A countywide high-volume spay/neuter program to reduce overpopulation at its source.

This isn’t just about saving dogs and cats—it’s about who we are as a community. We pride ourselves on being “Almost Heaven” West Virginia, but if we can’t protect our most vulnerable creatures, can we truly claim that title?

Every day we delay, animals die needlessly. Every month we stall, volunteers burn out, taxpayers pay more, and our shelter remains one bad outbreak away from disaster.

I’m asking you to join me in calling for real change—change that starts with putting the Animal Welfare Infrastructure Bond on the ballot so the people of Greenbrier County can decide.

Sign this petition, share it, and let our leaders know: we demand a modern, compassionate, and effective animal welfare system—one that matches our values, protects our community, and honors the lives we are responsible for.