Goochland woman rescues, finds home for lost pets
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Photo by Ken Odor
Annette Thompson gets an appreciative lick from one of the many dogs she is currently caring for at her home in western Goochland.




Published: January 07, 2009
BY KEN ODOR
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There’s just no two ways about it. The woman likes dogs.

And they like her.

“They followed me home even when I was a little kid,” said Annette Thompson last week at her home in western Goochland.

“All I am is a woman with a whole lot of dogs,” said Thompson, who has a kennel license for her operation, called Pet Rescue Foundation, a 501 (c (3) organization.

On this afternoon Thompson had to interrupt her interview several times to corral dogs that had managed to escape from the kennel.

But it’s all apart of a day’s work to Thompson, who has an answer for those who ask her why she does it.

“People ask me why I do it and I say the government has programs for the poor. But for the pets all they have is a needle, a gas chamber or a bullet between the eyes,” said the plainspoken Thompson.

She works with two large rescue operations out of Northern Virginia to adopt out the scores of animals she has on her place.

“I do the vetting and the care and the two groups adopt the dogs out,” she explained.

Thompson said she manages to arrange for the adoption of about 75 dogs each year.

Many of the dogs she is caring for are lost or abandoned hunting dogs, said Thompson. And people bring dogs to her when they can no longer care for them, particularly elderly folks.

Recently a group of volunteers came out to her place to do repair work on the kennels and shelters.

“They got an amazing amount of work done,” said Thompson.

On this particular afternoon there’s a good bit of barking going on, what with a strange reporter prowling the premises, but despite the cacophony, Thompson said she gets along well with most of her neighbors.

In these tight economic times Thompson said that discarding pets is one way some folks deal with declining incomes.

That doesn’t sit well with her.

“It says in the Bible that God gave us dominion over the animals,” she said. “In return we are responsible for their well-being.”

For more information

To help Thompson out in her mission to save animals, contact her at:

Pet Rescue Foundation
P.O. Box 70
Hadensville, VA 23067

Or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)


reader comments header image
Comments

Keep up the good work Annette, Ned

--
Edward P. (Ned) Kidwell) of Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, Costa Rica
Jan. 7, 2009 at 08:05 PM

I am a longtime friend and former neighbor of Annette. She has literally given her heart and soul to help the “discarded” pets for many years. Please help her if you can by volunteering, donations, corporate sponsorships, etc.  She and her dogs deserve that!

--
Lou Ann Zell of Richmond, VA
Jan. 8, 2009 at 10:39 AM

As a friend and former neighbor, Annette has devoted her heart and soul to helping “discarded” animals. Please think about volunteering, donating, corporate sponsorship, etc. As a member of the corporate world, nothing is more gratifying than helping an animal. You will be the one to benefit from that rare unconditional love animals can give!
And in this economy, the need to help these animals is urgent.

--
Lou Ann Zell of Richmond, VA
Jan. 8, 2009 at 10:53 AM

Shes a crazy old drunk

--
Linda Nelson of Goochland
Apr. 9, 2010 at 01:26 PM
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