Our 2022 Wrap Up

Homeward Trails, like many shelters and rescues, faced tremendous challenges to lifesaving in 2022. Shelters across the country were full and having to euthanize animals for space for the first time in decades. Animals were being turned in more quickly than most could find homes. Nonetheless, we persisted in not only our rescue efforts but in efforts to address animal homelessness at its roots in the most under-resourced communities in Virginia.

This past year has been incredibly challenging and heartbreaking, but also our most productive in our 20 year history. Not only did we rescue a TON of animals, we fully invested in our most under-resourced communities to bring an end to animal homelessness and led the effort to remove 4,000 tortured Beagles from a now-shuttered breeding facility. HT is doing what no other organization in Virginia is doing in the state.
HT is not your average rescue by any means. HT continues to be a leader in Virginia in the number of animals we rescue, but those numbers only tell a small part of what our very busy organization is doing to help animals! We are providing tens of thousands of dollars for spay/neuter efforts, providing tens of thousands of pounds of pet food and supplies, we are educating and training communities on foster programs, shelter protocols, and Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR).

RESCUE
In 2022, HT rescued 533 cats and 2,003 dogs. Many of these animals came to us from special, heartbreaking hoarding cases, requiring a lot of extra time in foster homes and a great deal of medical intervention before adoption. Each of these lives touched our hearts.
While most of our animals come from our rural Virginia shelter partners, we saved lives from many places both near and far. In total, our animals came from 55 different shelters/locations including: Thailand, Israel, Ukraine, Romania, Kosovo, Iran, and Pakistan.

ADOPTION CENTER
Our Adoption Center has now been in operation for 10 years. In 2022, we served 575 animals through it. Our Center staff is the best around! We have a robust behavior team helping dogs with behavioral challenges learn confidence and skills during their stay that help them become more successful in the real world. Our wonderful volunteers participate in Tails Out adventures where Center dogs can go for day trips or overnight stays with volunteers to have a break from the Center and some fun while they await adoptive homes. Volunteers who love to “chill” can come read, study, watch TV or meditate with a dog in our Peace Out rooms, which are comfortably outfitted with couches, rugs, TVs and more to have a truly relaxing time with a dog who also needs to chill. Over the summer, we hosted a Netflix & Chill Night with a dozen volunteers and rescued Beagles!

SPAY & NEUTER
We spent $263,760 on spay/neuter in 2022. That’s a LOT of animals who will no longer be contributing to animal overpopulation!

PUERTO RICO
Our GuaniCARES program provided funding for the spay & neuter of 213 animals.

UKRAINE
The war in Ukraine is incredibly heartbreaking and animals are not immune to the atrocities and pain that war brings. In October, longtime volunteer Shana Aufenkamp and HT Executive Director Sue Bell traveled to Ukraine to volunteer for two weeks with Breaking the Chains (BTC). BTC had established an emergency animal shelter that housed animals found in war-torn communities across Ukraine and those given up by their fleeing owners. After an exhausting and productive two weeks and a very, very long trip back, Shana and Sue returned with 31 cats who successfully found loving homes and are thriving. Sue and Shana described their experience by stating, “Our time in Ukraine was equally sad and fulfilling and hopefully we were able to shed some light on the fact that animals truly suffer during times of war as well.”

TRAILS UP PROGRAM
This two-year-old program brings lifesaving funding, resources, and training to our most under-resourced communities in Southwest Virginia/Appalachia. It has become our most impactful program in bringing an end to animal homelessness. In these areas, there are thousands of animals desperately needing veterinary care, spay/neuter, housing and basic supplies. With poverty rates high, it is a heartbreaking reality for these animals and the people who care for them.
Our Trails UP team made more than 10 trips to these areas to organize Trap-Neuter-Return events, vaccine clinics, pet pantry events, training for the community on neonatal kitten care, foster programs and more. We worked with our shelters to provide training on top-notch cleaning and sanitation practices, improved mental and physical care for the shelter animals, and trapping and care for outdoor cats.

We spent hours in the community – in trailer parks, in homes, on farms, and at businesses going where the animals are and working with the people who care for them.

In 2022, HT provided free spay/neuter, vaccines, and microchips to more than 1,100 dogs and cats! That will mean so many fewer kittens and puppies being born and ending up in shelters or living outdoors without care.

In 2022, HT provided more than 700,000 lbs of pet food and supplies to 38 communities.

HT provided microchips to more than 1,000 rural animals and helped our shelter partners include microchips for the animals adopted out.

BEAGLES BEAGLES & BEAGLES
When HT learned about the horrible treatment of Beagles at the now-shuttered Envigo facility, we were FIRST ON THE GROUND to remove Beagles who were no longer being used for breeding and likely slated for euthanasia. Our work ultimately led to partnering with the Humane Society of the United States to oversee the removal of hundreds of the 4,000 Beagles that left this facility for the lives they desperately deserved once this facility was forced to close. Our work and dedication to this effort was covered by local, regional, national, and even international media.

CRUMBS & WHISKERS
HT remains the exclusive partner of the Georgetown-based cat café, Crumbs & Whiskers where 280 very lucky kitties got to enjoy the life of luxury and then move onto adoptive homes!

KIDS!
Through our summer camp, Camp Waggin’ Tails, and our Friday Youth Program nights, we helped 400 kids learn about animal rescue and welfare and all things animals. We love working with kids to make the world a better place for animals!

VOLUNTEERS
Our volunteers remain the core of our operations and make HT possible. Each week, hundreds of hours of donated time includes: fostering, driving near and far, walking dogs, playing with cats, hosting events, raising funds and more. We have the best volunteers anywhere.

HT’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY & THE TODAY SHOW
Homeward Trails celebrated 20 years of lifesaving on January 1, 2022. To mark this incredible milestone, HT was chosen by the Today Show to celebrate our many accomplishments. The amazing Today Show staff and producers spent an entire day at our Adoption Center and capped off the dream-day with a donation of $10,000 and a year’s worth of yummy food from Fresh Pet. Wow – what a dream come true!

OUR AMAZING SUPPORTERS
HT is super grateful to our individual donors who donated a whopping $1.5 million to make all of our efforts possible. We could not do what we do without you.
We are also incredibly grateful to our foundation supporters who make it possible for us to save lives and who support so much of the work we do in rural Virginia.
Abrams Family Foundation
Best Friends Animal Society
David and Lorna Gladstone Foundation
DTS Charitable Foundation
Galloway Family Foundation
Jack R. Anderson Foundation
Janning Family Foundation
Leslie L. Alexander Foundation
Martha Morse Beck Von Peccoz Animal PLC Foundation
MuttNation Foundation
National Anti-Vivisection Society
Our Fund Foundation
Petco Love
The Andrew and Meredith Reinsdorf Charitable Fund
The Burton Family Foundation
The Morris & Arlene Goldfarb Family Foundation
The San Diego Foundation
The Stephens Family Foundation
Two Mauds
Virginia Federation of Humane Societie