The Empty Shelter exists only in my imagination...

It is a place I visit when my spirit is tired and my heart is breaking for the suffering of the animals I love so much.

I close my eyes and walk along the corridors of my imaginary animal shelter and remember the long, hard journey that led to this sanctuary, a place of peace where no animal is ever unwanted or unloved.

Every dog is unchained. Every belly is full. Every life is precious.

There are happy faces on the people who work at Animal Services as they go about the business of saving lives, not ending them. This building that once housed unwanted, abused, unsocial animals as they waited for death and hoped for adoption, is now a low-cost veterinary facility where every need is met and no one is ever turned away.

The dogs and cats are at peace with each other and the world. Some of them run and play in the fenced park as they wait their turn for a rabies shot or some ear drops. The older cats and dogs nap in the sunshine. They are all loved and protected by wonderful families and the laws of Cumberland County. They go for rides in the family car, sleep on warm beds, play ball, go to McDonald’s for a cheeseburger on special occasions, and find comfort in the arms of their human when the bad storms are raging.

There are more than enough homes for dogs and cats now that people are serious about spay and neuter. Animal Services officers are armed with enforceable laws and the power to arrest any citizen who abuses an animal.

Dog fighting is a thing of the past.

It was no one thing or one person that created a better, kinder world for animals. It was the combined efforts of many people who refused to accept the shameful way we were dealing with over-population, stray cats and dogs, unwanted puppies and kittens, senior animals... It was our county officials who gave us the laws we needed to change things. It was the relentless efforts of citizens who refused to accept the abuse and neglect of our animals any longer.

Many true and worthwhile things start with a vision; a fantasy. This is mine. No, it’s not real, but it could be. "The Empty Shelter" is the dream that keeps me going when I feel like giving up.

I often recall the words of an inspirational speaker I once met at UNC Pembroke: "You may be tired and weary. You may say, I didn't sign up for this. But this is the race you're in, so run, by God!" -- Nancy Grace

Shelby Townsend, Founder