Who We Are
Saving lives in Southside Virginia since 1975
About Us
We began in 1975 as a small shelter with few volunteers and very limited resources in Prince Edward County, Virginia. Since then, through hard work, dedication and the support of the Southside Virgina community, we have grown into a well-respected respected organization known for saving and improving the lives of thousands of Southside companion animals each year.
We are an independent nonprofit. We are not a chapter of or affiliated with any other organization with “SPCA” in its name, including but not limited to the ASPCA. We operate mostly with volunteers and depend almost entirely on private donors to support our lifesaving work.
Our service area is mostly in the rural, economically depressed counties in Southside Virginia, which include:
- Amelia
- Appomattox
- Brunswick
- Buckingham
- Charlotte
- Cumberland
- Dinwiddie
- Halifax
- Lunenburg
- Mecklenburg
- Nottoway
- Prince Edward
Our Mission
The mission of the Southside SPCA is threefold:
- To rescue and provide care and shelter for homeless, abandoned and abused animals in our service area.
- To find loving “forever” homes for the animals that we rescue.
- To reduce the overpopulation of unwanted and homeless dogs and cats in Southside Virginia through public education and our low and no-cost spay and neuter programs.
Our Facility
Our shelter is located in Prince Edward County, Virginia.
The facility has three buildings, plus an adoption cottage, and the capacity to house 50 dogs, 12 litters of puppies, and 55 cats and kittens.
Who We Are to Our Animals
All animals in our care receive proper medical attention. We address vaccinations, spay/neuter, as well as all medical issues to an adoption or transfer. Animals arrive at our shelter in a number of ways:
- Most of our animals are received from euthanizing animal controls. We pull animals from the county shelters weekly who are at risk of euthanasia as well as those that have been released from stray hold.
- Some of our animals are abandoned in the middle of the night at our shelter gates. Countless times, morning workers have arrived to find animals tied to the shelter gates, taped in cardboard boxes, or even stuffed in crates, waiting to be found.
Our Impact
We pride ourselves on providing a genuine impact on our community, from the pets we save to the current and future pet owners whom we also call friends and neighbors. Since we began operating, euthanasia rates in the county shelters in our service area have dropped from almost 100 percent to an average of 16.5 percent today. We provide medical care, love and attention to all animals that come to our facility, including those who are malnourished and/or suffering from diseases.
In addition to rescue and adoption services, we also offer assistance to low-income residents to help them keep their pets. We engage in outreach to educate the public in our service area about animal welfare and the importance of spaying and neutering their pets.
We have accomplished much, but we still have much to do. You can help us with our life-saving work. Consider a donation today.
Animal Welfare & Financial Stats
Each year, our intakes/adoptions/transfers are reported to the Virginia Department of Agriculture. These are publicly available statistics for all municipal and independent rescues in the state of Virginia. See below for our statistics for 2023.
