After 12 years of operation and more than 13,000 homeless animals rescued, Homeward Trails is finally opening its very own cageless adoption center. Since its inception in 2002, HT has operated almost solely as a foster-based program. In recent years, we have been lucky enough to be housed and partnered with a local doggy daycare which allowed us space to cagelessly board up to 15 dogs while we worked to secure foster and/or adoptive homes for them. This helped us increase the number of dogs we rescued by dozens annually.

In September 2013, an opportunity to lease a nearby facility which had previously operated as a commercial doggy daycare and boarding facility came our way. We immediately pursued it and found it to be the perfect next step for our organization.  HT has always been open to the possibility of securing its own facility but the cost of purchasing an appropriate facility was prohibitive.

This new facility, located at 11116 Fairfax Station Road, Fairfax Station, VA includes a daycare building and a residential building for our on-site manager. It will offer HT the opportunity to quadruple the number of dogs we rescue and provide them with a clean, positive, safe, cageless temporary home that will also offer a significant amount of fenced outdoor space (something we have never had before). The facility will also provide additional space for pregnant and nursing dogs, thus allowing us to save many more puppies.

Nearby woods will offer our dogs the opportunity for leisurely walks with our dedicated volunteers where they can stretch their legs and take in the fresh air – something many have not had in their lifetime!

The facility will be overseen by a full-time on-site manager and support staff. Once fully operational, we will explore hosting regular adoption hours to the public, thus allowing us to adopt out more dogs in a shorter period of time.

We are planning to begin housing our dogs here starting November 1, 2013! We are offering many exciting sponsorship and naming opportunities for animal lovers who wish to help us make this exciting dream come true. Your support will help pay for renovations, new fencing, appliances and more! Additionally, we will need many volunteers to help us move, paint, build and improve before opening.

We can’t wait to start this next chapter of Homeward Trails and look forward to having you involved! Please contact info@homewardtrails.org if you can donate and/or volunteer in any capacity. And we’ll look forward to seeing you at our grand  opening in 2014!