Let’s raise the quality of life of Morgantown rescues by supporting Animal Friends’ new shelter.
Animal Friends of North Central West Virginia has provided refuge for more than 10,000 unwanted, abandoned, and abused animals since 1999. But after a quarter century of sheltering and re-homing pets, the operation has outgrown its facility. “We are just constantly busting at the seams with new animals,” says Shelter Coordinator Katie Short. “There have been times I’ve had to say ‘No’—we’ve got the manpower and the will, but we don’t always have the space.” So the shelter is raising money for a 6,700-square-foot building with modern amenities for both dogs and cats.
The first floor of the new space will feature five dog rooms, a play and training room, a senior dog room, and food prep. There will be outdoor fenced dog pens and a play yard along with support rooms for grooming, medical isolation, and laundry.
The second floor is mainly for cats, with four kitten rooms, two adult cat rooms, a screened-in catio porch, an intake room, and puppy and kitten nurseries. The main entryway and lobby and day-to-day operations will also be on the second floor.
The new facility will be “more” in every way, Short says. It will be more comfortable and enriching for animals during their stays. It will allow for more community members to volunteer. And it will enable Animal Friends to rescue a lot more animals from neglect and euthanasia.
If you missed Morgantown magazine’s spring Cover Dog fundraiser, you can still help out—just donate on Animal Friends’ website. There are so many naming opportunities! A generous donation of $1,000 supports one of 20 cat condos, and they range upward from there. For $3,000, you can provide one of five outdoor dog yards, and $5,000 makes one of 12 cat or dog rooms possible. Support the food prep room for $10,000, the dog park for $35,000, or the lobby for $50,000.
Of the $2 million needed to realize this dream, Animal Friends has raised $325,000 so far—and almost $2,000 more with the help of our Summer 2025 cover dog Rudy and friends. The sooner the money is raised, the sooner animals in need of rescue can enjoy the new facility. “I’m looking forward to being able to provide the animals in our care with as much opportunity for exercise and enrichment as we can possibly give them,” says Short.
You can help! Donate here via PayPal or mail your check made out to Animal Friends of North Central West Virginia to P.O. Box 1090, Dellslow, WV, 26531.
READ MORE ARTICLES FROM OUR SUMMER 2025 ISSUE
Leave a Reply