The History of Goochland Pet Lovers
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Florence Oginz, Animal Activist. In 1986, the land at the corner of Fairgrounds Road and Hidden Rock was donated to Goochland County in Ms. Oginz's memory to build the first Goochland Animal Shelter.
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Corky Marks, first Animal Protection Officer in Goochland. Served for 30 years until his retirement in 2013.
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Becky Dickson, Goochland County Administrator. In 2013, Ms. Dickson began laying the groundwork for where we are today.
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It was Becky's dream to form a public/private partnership between Goochland County and an organization to celebrate the human-pet bond. Becky also saw the need for the County of Goochland to partner with a nonprofit that would raise additional money for an adoption wing and County-wide programs. Goochland Pet Lovers was created in the fall of 2016 and we committed and raised $1.45 million for the County to add an adoption wing to this state-of-the-art, 14,000-square-foot facility. Thanks to all of the County’s support and the generous support from our donors, the Goochland County Animal Shelter and Adoption Center opened in June 2020.
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Goochland Pet Lovers established the Dr. Lori L. Elliott Medical Fund in November 2019. This fund was named for Dr. Lori L. Elliott for her unwavering dedication to the animals of Goochland County. The purpose of the Dr. Lori L. Elliott Medical Fund is to supplement funding budgeted by Goochland County for animals in the Goochland County Animal Shelter and Adoption Center (shelter).
The animals in the shelter are stray, unclaimed and/or abandoned in need of care and a forever home. These restricted funds provide the optimal care these animals need to enhance their chances of adoption and include the spay/neuter of every eligible dog and cat, along with funding for medical treatment, medical supplies, shelter supplies, and training.
In addition, the Restricted Microchip Fund provides for a microchip for every animal in the shelter as well as every pet owned by a Good Neighbor client. We are committed to providing animal training by a licensed dog trainer or cat behavior specialist to any eligible animal at the shelter. GPL is devoted to making the animals in the shelter more adoptable. -
The Good Neighbor Fund (GNF) launched in February 2021. This program was formed to strengthen families and individuals by offering financial assistance and coordinating no-cost vet care to allow families to keep their pets healthy and in their homes.
The Good Neighbor Fund provides need-based financial assistance for preventive and minor/basic pet care for Goochland and Powhatan residents who reside at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. Monthly clinics are held on the second Saturday of each month at the shelter. Appointments must be scheduled ahead of time. -
Goochland Pet Lovers launched the “Teaching Kindness” humane education initiative in 2023 for the purpose of seeking and creating opportunities to support area schools and other youth-focused organizations.
The “Teaching Kindness” program provides children with opportunities to explore, apply, and adopt virtues such as empathy, kindness, respect, and responsibility toward living beings.
Volunteer community leaders as instructors provide a valuable source of positive role modeling for many while, for others, reaffirming and expanding on the kindness they already practice.
