Animal Defense League of Washington County, Virginia

Who we are & What we do

The Animal Defense League of Washington County was established in 1982 by 8 concerned members of the community. They rallied to have the current shelter built (the CC Porter Animal Shelter dedicated in 1986) and made great strides toward animal welfare in this county. By 1995 the group had become fairly inactive, but still sponsored yard sales to help spay and neuter animals in the community and pay for emergency surgery for those in need. In November of 1999 a public meeting was held and the ADL was reinstated.

Pet overpopulation

Millions of adoptable but homeless dogs and cats are euthanized annually in the U.S. because of the pet overpopulation problem. In Southwest Virginia alone, 2,376 animals brought to area shelters were euthanized in 2018. Pet sterilization is the ONLY way to stop the senseless killing of these loving creatures.

Spay/Neuter Assistance

Providing assistance to and promoting the use of the Margaret B. Mitchell Spay/Neuter Clinic, in Bristol, VA; a reduced-cost facility serving our region.

Barn cats in need of homes

ADL has beautiful, healthy, sterilized, vaccinated cats in need of new outdoor homes. These cats make ideal residents for farms, stables, barns, garages or other suitable locations with outdoor shelter possibilities.

Programs

Black, Grey, and White cat with green eyes sitting on a wingback chair.

Spay & Neuter

The Animal Defense League offers financial assistance for the spaying or neutering of pets for qualified, low-income residents of Washington County and surrounding counties or for persons adopting a cat or dog from the C.C. Porter Animal Shelter.

Learn more

A white cat with a brown splotch on its fur laying in a sunny window.

Trap Neuter Release (TNR)

ADL supports and practices TNR. Simply put, community cats are humanely trapped and taken to the local clinic or veterinarian to be spayed or neutered and vaccinated. After their recovery, the cats are returned to their 'colony' or outdoor home.

Learn more

Take action!

The Animal Defense League of Washington County, Virginia is an entirely volunteer run organisation. All of your kindness goes towards aiding animals in your local community. Please consider becoming a member to support us!

Membership

Our monthly meetings are open to anyone wishing to join the Animal Defense League. Membership meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month, beginning at 6:30pm at The Washington County Public Library, located at the intersection of Oak Hill and Valley Streets in Abingdon.

Do you want to support the Animal Defense League directly? It's easy. Complete the membership form, pay the membership dues, and come join us at the next meeting!

Membership

A white cat with a grey striped forehead looks concerned while staring at the camera from behind a post..

Pet Overpopulation Estimates

Number of cats and dogs entering shelters each year: 6-8 million
Number of cats and dogs euthanized by shelters each year: 3-4 million (one animal every nine seconds)
Average number of litters a fertile cat can produce in one year: 3
Average number of kittens in a feline litter: 4-6
In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can theoretically produce 420,000 cats
Average number of litters a fertile dog can produce in one year: 2
Average number of puppies in a litter: 6-10
In six years, one female dog and her offspring can theoretically produce 67,000 dogs

-Reprinted by permission of The Humane Society of the United States

Sassy grey and white cat sitting on an old chair looking generally displeased.

Our contacts

Please get in touch with us!
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P O Box 2099, Abingdon, VA 24212
1-877-301-2290
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Animal Defense League

Voice of the Voiceless