Ready, set, dig

Breaking ground for the new shelter

During a brief respite from the blowtorch of summer, Goochland  held a ceremonial groundbreaking for our new animal shelter near Hidden Rock Park on August 1. 

Georgette Griffin, John Budesky, Ned Creasey, Ken Peterson, Tom Winfree

Goochland Board of Supervisors’ Chair Ned Creasey, District 3, welcomed a good sized group of citizens. “This is what proves we’re human,” Creasey said of the planned shelter. He thanked everyone involved in transforming the planned state-of-the-art facility from notion to reality.  He marveled at the generosity of the community that dug deep to fund the new Goochland Free Clinic and Family Services headquarters while also supporting the new shelter.. It all began a few years ago, said Creasey, when Becky Dickson, former county administrator, dispatched Lisa Beczkiewicz to “straighten things out” at the animal shelter. Her report led to Becky “having an idea,” which blossomed into the shelter.

Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Ken Peterson District 5, said that the shelter is another example of how Goochlanders pull together to solve a problem and close ranks to get it done.

Dr. Lori Elliott, DVM, whose generous donations of her time and talents working with Goochland Animal Protection Services, recalled the many conversations and meetings with Becky and other interested parties about how to make the special new shelter happen.

Current Goochland County Administrator John Budesky said he is honored to take a project Becky started and bring it across the finish line.

Tom Winfree, president of Goochland Pet Lovers, an organization formed specifically to raise funds and friends for the new shelter, thanked his volunteers, especially Kathy and Richard Verlander, who chair the capital campaign, for their efforts. He announced that Becky’s husband Dennis Proffit and sister Deborah Starns, have joined the GPL board. He thanked many people for making the day possible, including Wanda Tormey, Director of Purchasing, and County Attorney Tara McGee for handling all of the contractual details.

Tim Clough, Director of Animal Protection—notice that in Goochland it is not called animal control—said the new shelter will be an awesome facility that will have lots of room to accommodate volunteers, unlike the current building.

Dr. Lori Elliott, DVM, Tim Clough, Director of Animal Protection

No discussion of animal protection efforts in Goochland would be complete with mention of FLAG—For Love of Animals in Goochland—the volunteer organization that rescued many animals and found them forever homes. Last summer, FLAG announced that, after 30 years of wonderful work, it was closing. Georgette Griffin, said that FLAG was passing the torch to GPL to continue its work and wished the new organization greatest success. To  continue its legacy, FLAG has donated more than $200,000 to the new shelter including $75,000 for the spay and neuter clinic.

Winfree announced that so far, GPL has raised $831,454 of its $1.5 million goal.

The contract to build the shelter was awarded to BFE Construction, Inc. and is expected to be open for business by the fall of 2018. For more information, visit http://www.goochlandpetlovers.com.

Danielle Bowers, Sean Bowers of BFE Construction, and District 4 Supervisor Bob Minnick