WILLIAMSBURG— Heritage Humane Society, the home for many four-legged adoptable pets, is coming to the public for help as it faces a temporary closure.
From April 13-24, Heritage Humane Society will be closed to undergo an unexpected emergency sewer line replacement project. Construction will involve digging up floors and installing new drainage systems throughout the facility. During the construction, Heritage staff say the environment will create unsafe conditions and high-stress for animals in their care.
“At this moment, every dog kennel in our facility is full, and we are also managing illness within the building. With construction about to begin, we must urgently reduce our on-site population to protect the health and safety of every animal in our care,” Heritage staff said.
Heritage Humane Society is asking for the public’s help as there are multiple ways to assist the shelter at this crucial time.
Staff at the shelter have created the following list of opportunities to assist:
- Adopt an animal in their care
- Short-term fostering of an animal in their care, with no financial commitment from the foster
- Offering a home to a career cat, who can put their mousing skills to work in a barn or warehouse
- Transporting pets to other shelters in the area as needed
“The Heritage Humane Society has always been a community resource, however right now, we find ourselves having to ask our community to come together for this immediate need for the hundreds of animals who depend on us,” said Kimberly Laska, Executive Director of The Heritage Humane Society. “We have a short window to safely place pets into homes by permanent adoption and foster care with vetted fosters residing in the shelter’s service area of City of Williamsburg, James City County and York County. If you’ve been considering adoption or can even foster for a short term, now is the time.”
The shelter is also seeking monetary support from the community to help cover the costs of the repairs and funds to help continuity of care for its animals.
“This is a moment where our community can make a real difference. Thank you for your compassion, flexibility, and commitment to helping us protect animals now while building a stronger future together,” Heritage staff said.
During the shelter’s closure, operations will be limited, including only experienced volunteers being allowed inside the building during construction and animal intakes will be restricted to stray pets and emergency cases only.
To learn more or to help, visit heritagehumane.org.