Myth vs. Fact
Often time, members of our community contact us asking for clarification about what we do here at GHS. Often, these assumptions about our organization are a stretch from the truth or not reflective of our policies and how our organization operates. On this page, are a few common myths about our policies, practices, and services.
Myth: Our adoption process is difficult and time-consuming
Fact: By implementing our “Adopters Welcome” policy, we removed unnecessary barriers to adoption. Our process is much shorter because we now rely on meaningful conversations to create ideal love connections between people and pets.
Myth: You must have a fenced-in yard to adopt a dog.
Fact: Having a fenced-in yard is NOT an adoption requirement.
Myth: GHS does not adopt to people living outside of Greenbrier County or outside of the state of West Virginia.
Fact: Adopters can live anywhere in the United States and still adopt from GHS. They just must be willing to travel to our facility and be able to complete the adoption within a reasonable time frame.
Myth: GHS does not adopt to families with young children, families with seniors living at home, or to people who rent their homes.
Fact: Living with children and seniors, or renting your home are not barriers to adoption.
Myth: Animals have a time limit for residency at our facility, and after so many days in the facility, we must euthanize the pet.
Fact: There are NO time limits for any animal’s length of stay. They stay here as long as it takes until they find a loving permanent home.
Myth: Donated pet food is fed to our facility pets.
Fact: ALL food donated is utilized for community service programs such as our pet food pantry program. Keeping pets on a consistent diet is important for their digestive health. Since we receive a variety of brands of pet food from the community, we typically do not use donated food to feed shelter pets. We feed our pets Hill’s Science Diet.
Myth: You are required to pay a fee at the time of any owner or stray surrender
Fact: Finances should not be a barrier to accessing our services. GHS does not have a fee for any surrender purposes.
Myth: If you surrender a pet, you can never adopt again, and your name goes on a “do not adopt list”.
Fact: Utilizing our intake services does not prevent a person from adopting again in the future.
Myth: Once a pet receives its rabies vaccine, they are vaccinated for life.
Fact: A rabies vaccine is good for one year unless it gets boosted before the expiration date – then it’s good for three years.
Myth: GHS dogs always have behavioral issues.
Fact: Many dogs become residents of GHS through no fault of their own – either because they are found as strays, surrendered by their owners, or for another reason. When surrendered by an owner, it is usually due to a change in their owner’s circumstances. When you walk through the facility, you may see dogs exhibit behaviors like excessive barking or going to the bathroom in their kennels. However, you must remember that this is a stressful environment for animals. In most cases, when they are placed into a loving home with patient adopters, these behaviors dissipate.
