No-kill animal shelter in Bedford still in the works

It's not the easiest time to raise money, but members of the Bedford Humane Society are hopeful. They need $300,000 to $500,000 to build a no-kill adoption center in the county.

"The USDA allows loans, but we don't want to have to do that," said Mary Beverley, president of the Humane Society.

The nonprofit's board has been eager to break ground on the project since Vernon Lybolt Jr. of Forest bequeathed his approximately $600,000 estate to the Humane Society in 2005.

In June 2009, the nonprofit used it to purchase a 3.3-acre property for $246,533 for the Vernon D. Lybolt Jr. Adoption Center.

Beverley said among the expenses were repairs to a house on the property that is being used as office space. After the property sale and repairs, the nonprofit has $250,000 to $300,000 from Lybolt's estate, said Beverley.

"Unfortunately, the money we got from him just isn't going to be enough to build something these days," she said.

Beverley said they'll soon have a better idea of how much build out of the 6,000-square-foot facility will cost. The nonprofit recently hired Daggett and Grigg Architects of Charlottesville, whose employees are working to finalize the site plans.

Beverley said they hope to break ground on the adoption center in the next eight months. When complete, it will feature 24 dog runs and 24 cat suites. Over the course of one year, Beverley estimates the adoption center could accommodate 288 dogs and 192 cats.

In the interim, the Humane Society has been working with volunteers who foster cats and dogs until permanent homes can be found.

The Humane Society also offers a low-cost spay/neuter program and works with other animal rescue groups to transport pets to localities where they're more likely to be adopted. So far this year, the Humane Society has spayed and neutered about 220 animals, transported more than 50 to other areas and has had about 20 adopted locally.

For more information about the Bedford Humane Society, visit bedfordhumanesociety.petfinder.com.