Parkersburg may get no-kill animal shelter
By RACHEL LANE, rlane@newsandsentinel.comPARKERSBURG - The Mid-Ohio Valley may soon have a no-kill animal shelter for dogs and cats.
Parkersburg resident Ellen Miller, founder of Ellen's Animal Rescue, hopes to expand her rescue operation to a shelter for any animal unlikely to be adopted from local shelters due to medical conditions, age or behavior. She started the animal rescue officially about two years ago.
"A lot of little animals are counting on me to get the shelters up and running," Miller said. "I'm in it for the long haul."
She has about 23 dogs living with her at her home in Parkersburg but she cannot accept any more at this time. The dogs' conditions range from elderly but healthy to young but deaf and partially blind, she said.
Miller does background checks and home evaluations on people hoping to adopt the dogs because she wants the dogs to be treated well, Miller said.
"Part of the contract says if they can't take care of them, (the dogs) come back to me," Miller said.
Stephanie Deem, fundraising coordinator for Ellen's Animal Rescue, said they are hoping to purchase a large enough piece of property to allow the dogs room to run.
Deem said she is hoping to find property for about $25,000.
"Animals are my passion and I've wanted to build a no-kill shelter for a while," Deem said. "If there's one animal that's healthy and it's (euthanized) just because of overcrowding, that's one too many."
Miller said the only reason an animal should be euthanized is if it is in pain.
"People get puppies and then the puppies grow up or don't get house trained as quickly as they want and they get rid of them," she said. "Some people breed the dogs... then get rid of them."
Miller said she has dogs that people abandoned after the dog got older, dogs abandoned in houses when people move and some dogs that people did not want after the owner of the dog died.
"I'm trying to find somewhere with enough land that they can be free," she said.
Miller said she expects the total cost of the project to be about $250,000 for the property, a building and installing utilities.
The first fundraiser for the no-kill shelter is a golf tournament at the Golf Club of West Virginia on Sept. 13. Entries for the golf tournament must be in by 6 p.m. Sept. 11. Enter at the Golf Club of West Virginia or call (304) 481-7689.
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rescues
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01-09-09 7:40 PM
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Ceteris, Slander is an awful thing. If you have proof of Hoarding bring it on. All Rescues must keep exact records of all expenditures and all monies brought in. I have all records of my adoptions and each of these rescues have been medically taken care of along with given the same love and care their former owners couldn't or wouldn't give to them.They are not penned up in small cages and I work with out of state rescues to help find them homes. So when you want to malign my character ask the adoptees of these companion animals how well treated and how we spend money out of our own pocket to travel to assure they are being placed in loving homes and how they are spayed/ neutered and up on all shots and when surgery is needed I have had it taken care of. My vet bills are enormous and the adoption fees do not take care of a fourth of what I put out for these little souls.
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NotJoMama
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09-02-08 9:39 AM
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Squidkid, I wish I'd said that! I have seen that quote before but didn't know how to find it. So true.
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lorilw
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09-01-08 11:08 PM
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***********brightlion****/InHope/InHope_en.aspx That's ****: with a // **** brightlion. com/InHope/InHope_en.aspx (remove all the extra spaces.
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lorilw
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09-01-08 11:07 PM
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***********brightlion****/InHope/InHope_en.aspx Anyone that doesn't have their dog/cat spayed/neutered should watch this video.
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lorilw
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09-01-08 10:57 PM
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I've been volunteering with rescues for over 20 years. No kill shelters, humane societies, and independently...All are needed in any community where the people are too ignorant to spay and neuter their animals and continue to offer 'free to good home' puppies and kittens. Until all 'accidental' breeding and 'backyard puppy mills' are ended, there will never be a way to find homes for all the dogs/cats/puppies/kittens needing homes. I read the following "For every human born, 15 dogs and 45 cats are born. There simply aren’t enough homes for all these animals. As a result, 7 million healthy, adoptable animals are euthanized (killed) every year." How many 'no kill' shelters would be needed? Way too many. I applaud efforts of Ellen and people like her. I applaud the efforts of every shelter worker. Imagine the heartache of having to euthanize a dog or cat 'to make room' they go through on a daily basis. The shelter workers aren't cold hearted, they ache & cry and they
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Squidkid
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09-01-08 4:20 PM
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"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Gandhi
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NotJoMama
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09-01-08 2:12 PM
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Oh, and one more thing, there is no money in rescuing. So keep your day job to support the habit. One case of PARVO and you find yourself using the rent money up.
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NotJoMama
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09-01-08 1:50 PM
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I know Ellen and I know several other rescuers in this area who work with local shelters as well as take strays off the street. The way it works is they take what they can handle and say "No" when offered more. The shelters don't have that luxury. They are required to take whatever is brought to their doors. Maybe more folks could start a small no kill in home rescue. Ellen is a very dedicated rescuer and I expect she would help train you. That would help a little but beware it is easy to become a hoarder....and you WANT to adopt them out of this area because local homes are needed for the shelter pets who may be euthed tomorrow for lack of room. The most needed thing to get the pet overpopulation under control in the long run is what more progressive states have done and that is enact SPAY and NEUTER LAWS. With the pet overpopulation as it is today, there is no such thing as "responsible breeding".
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ceteris
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09-01-08 1:36 PM
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wvcommissioner, you are correct.
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WVCommissioner
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09-01-08 1:16 PM
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A no kill facility allows longer times between adoptions. You can house and care for animals that have a greater probability for adoption. BUT, you need a kill facility close, so that when an animal that has zero chance of adoption can be "transfered" to the other facility. No kill is not the same as a refuge.
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ceteris
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09-01-08 12:56 PM
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We'll have to agree to diagree about abortion. However, regarding babies and children, no issue is more important to me. I work for a small salary and my job is to improve life for families and children. Best part of my job is getting to meet so many babies and children. No, I don't think pets are more important than people. I love my dogs but they are not my children but they are my family. I won't even kill a mouse or a bug, I do respect the life that God has given to all creatures.
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seleah
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09-01-08 12:26 PM
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Oh, and I do agree with you about the Humane Society. It is a very needed although much maligned agency. They deserve our support. Unless people are willing to become part of the solution, they are part of the problem.
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seleah
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09-01-08 12:24 PM
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Calm down Cetris, you miss the whole point. It just amazes me that so many people are so emotional about pets, when babies are killed in this country every day through abortion. You have your opinion about what is a baby and I have mine. I love pets, I just love people more.
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ceteris
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09-01-08 12:19 PM
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seleah, Who is killing babies? Don't tell me about fetuses, who is killing babies? I believe in the Humane Society of the United States, HSUS, they are against no kill shelters and I am as well as all the professional shelter managers I know. By the way, The Parkersburg News and Sentinel is so wrong about The Humane Society of the United States. There was nothing wrong with their fundraising after the 1000 dogs were confiscated from Whispering Oaks, who do you think is in New Orleans rescuing all the pets? Where do you think they get the money to do this? I'd say the editor of this paper is stupid if he wrote that thumbs down in Saturday's paper and he should be fired. Maybe he should try rescuing some pets with his own money.
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Spirited
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09-01-08 11:21 AM
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Ellen Miller I applaud you! A no-kill shelter is the best for the animals. There are so many people that truly love their pets but for some reason can no longer keep them. They have fears of turning them over to the HS because of fear of being euthanized. Animals need a place to keep warm in the winter, cool in the summer be fed and know they are loved. This is not always a home.. Look at Animal Reserves.. those animals are well care for. they do not live in a house! I personally have several animals and yes one of them is blind, yes they live in our home. But if the Lord decided to take me home today I would go with a smile knowing my babues were not going to be "put to sleep". Love comes in all forms.
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seleah
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09-01-08 11:13 AM
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How about a no kill shelter for babies?
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sandstone
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09-01-08 10:23 AM
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Dear Miss Molly, You have no idea what the HSOP is all about. You should educate yourself about how many dogs and cats are rescued and adopted before making such absurd statements. Let me ask you, where would the HSOP put nearly 6000 unwanted animals because people don't spay and neuter their pets and /or leave them at the shelters door? That is close to the number they receive yearly. We won't mention the extra 1000 from the puppy mill.
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Mike123
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09-01-08 8:53 AM
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Ceteris - do you have evidence she is hoarding pets and not a person truly interested in a no kil shelter? Have you ever heard of ****bestfriends****? It is the largest no kill shelter in the US and they do great work. It sounds like this woman is trying to get a piece of property large enough to allow the animlas to enjoy the outdoors. A no kill shelter anywhere close to Best Friends would be a great asset in Parkersburg. Unless you know this woman is unfit to do such a thing please don't spread rumors. Both HSOP and this woman will receive my donations until I see evidence of why they should not.
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ceteris
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09-01-08 8:23 AM
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The Parkersburg shelter is one of the best in the country. No, I am not associated with the shelter but you are ignorant to criticize this shelter. Try going out to the rural counties in this state if you want to see sad conditions. Yes, politicians are responsible for the deplorable conditions for animals in this state. Simple spay and neuter laws and low cost availability of spaying and neutering would go a long way to eliminate the pet problem. You know, WV is an exporter of puppies and dogs. Does that make you proud to be a West Virginian? It shames me. Vote for politicians who care about animals, it's that simple.
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ceteris
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09-01-08 8:20 AM
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Actually no kill shelters are not a good idea. There is an explosion of unwanted pets, those who can't be adopted should be euthanized, it's no life for a pet living in any kind of shelter for an extended period. This woman is deluded and not anything good for animals. Please don't give her any money, give your money to the Parkersburg Humane Society, they are professionals and know what is best for animals. By the way, a deaf and blind puppy is not unadoptable, I adopted 2, they are 8 years and 10 years old now and one dog does obedience and agility. There are excellent deaf dog and blind dog rescues. These dogs do not deserve to live in a no kill shelter, they should be in a home with a family. This woman is a hoarder and should be shut down.
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leviathan
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09-01-08 8:14 AM
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The no-kill animal shelter is a move in the right direction, but it is time for our state and local representatives to get involved and enact laws that stop unlicensed "backyard" breeders. Despite bona fide efforts of many humane groups as well as teachers to educate the public about the necessity of spaying and neutering their companion animals, it seems as if the only time people pay any attention to problems is when their pocketbooks are affected.
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readsalot
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09-01-08 8:04 AM
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We also don't need a shelter that is out for the publicity and not the welfare of the animals. As well as one that is so disorganzied.
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missmolly
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09-01-08 1:00 AM
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Good for you !!!!!!!!! Now maybe the humane sociaty can shut down for good. We don't need one that murders and gets by with it legally.
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