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The Humane Society of Davie County hit a major milestone on June 5 with the 1,000th pet adoption since the partnership between HSDC and Davie County Animal Services.

Rooster Junior (now known as Sweet Pete) was adopted to a loving home after coming into the shelter as a stray.

“Adoptions like his are part of the reason the county has seen its lowest euthanasia rate in the county’s history continue to drop,” said Matt Abbott, humane society marketing manager. “A drop worthy of an even bigger challenge.”

The HSDC had a goal of Davie County being free of unnecessary euthanasia by 2025 – a goal established from a challenge made by the Best Friends Animal Society.

The HSDC is stepping up that challenge with a vision of its own – called “ten in 20”.  Ten percent euthanasia is seen as the benchmark to be considered no-kill.  This means that no animal is euthanized merely due to the capacity of the shelter, but still allows for euthanasia in cases where it will end an animal’s suffering, or the animal is too dangerous due to extreme aggression whose behavior cannot be rehabilitated.

The goal of “ten in 20” is to be below 10 percent euthanasia in 2020 and sustain it for years to come. There are cities in North Carolina listed on the Best Friends Animal Society’s list of No-Kill Communities, but so far no county has reached that goal.

“HSDC and DCAS want to make Davie County the first on that list,” Abbott said.

Adoptions are only part of the equation.

“Active adoption and foster networks, low cost spay and neuter programs, long distance animal transport to no-kill shelters in other states and a managed intake protocol from DCAS have all played a part in the success of Davie County heading toward this important goal – it’s not just one thing, but a cumulative effect of all the team members doing their part,” Abbott said. “We build awareness of these crucial programs through social media and regular events.”

For more information on the programs HSDC offers, visit www.davienchumane.org.