(Photo by Christina Myer)

Last week, Gov. Patrick Morrisey proclaimed May as West Virginia No-Kill Shelter Month. In doing so, he said he was aiming to make West Virginia a “no-kill” state this year. It’s the kind of proclamation sure to make even those who disagree with Morrisey’s politics send texts to me that he has done something they could “100% support.”

I support it, too, of course. But if you know me, you know all the pets in my home are rescues from local shelters — except the tarantula, but she’s technically a “rescue,” too. I’m very much an advocate for adopting your pet, rather than shopping for it.

It turns out I’m not alone, as Best Friends Animal Society says in 2024, West Virginia had an impressive 89.7% save rate for pets in shelters, with more than 80% of the state’s 48 animal shelters maintaining or achieving no-kill status.

“For West Virginia to become no-kill, 1,100 additional dogs and cats need to be adopted,” according to a news release from the organization.

“West Virginia has made substantial progress in pet lifesaving over the past year, and with a collaborative approach among community members, elected officials, and animal welfare organizations, we believe the Mountain State can achieve no-kill,” said Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society. “Governor Morrisey’s declaration significantly propels the no-kill movement, encouraging the community to actively participate in helping West Virginia become a no-kill state. We commend the Governor for leading this lifesaving initiative to help safeguard the lives of West Virginia’s dogs and cats.”

So how do we do that?

One suggestion will be familiar to local residents, as Best Friends says we should be asking elected officials to support ordinances that allow for community cat programming. We should also be adopting pets from shelters or rescue groups, spaying or neutering our pets, volunteering and donating (both money and supplies).

All my life, the dogs and cats in our family have been adopted. The only papers they had were the shot records that came with them from shelters. Some were smart, some were super obedient, some were … simpler and more obstinate. All of them were loyal family companions who made our lives richer.

I very much recommend choosing your next pet from an animal shelter or rescue group. But I say that with one caveat: Do so only if you are willing and able to properly care for the animal and give it a loving home.

Having a pet comes with expenses such as food, litter, veterinary bills, collars, leashes, harnesses, treats, hot dog costumes … OK, maybe that last one is optional. They need walks, food and water, clean litter boxes and toys. They need your time and attention. They need exercise.

A choice to adopt an animal is a several-year commitment to provide an animal with a decent quality of life (hopefully a great one).

If you’re not there, yet, there are always all the other ways to support the animals and our state’s shelters and rescue groups.

Morrisey’s goal is admirable. Let’s do what we can to make it happen.

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I can’t let the weekend pass without acknowledging the woman whose patience allowed for all those pets growing up. From a cat who jumped up on the counter to lick butter from the dish to a dog who fell into that simpler and more obstinate category and never did quite get all the way potty trained, she endured. It was partly because of how much she loved the animals, but mostly because of how much she loved us. For that and very much more, I love you, Mom. Happy Mother’s Day, everyone.

Christina Myer is executive editor of The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. She can be reached via e-mail at cmyer@newsandsentinel.com