DANVILLE, Va. – The Danville Area Humane Society is facing intense criticism and threats amid controversy over its euthanasia practices, with activists claiming the shelter puts down animals before mandatory hold periods expire.
The shelter reported euthanizing 2,200 animals in 2024 — more than 60% of their intakes. This rate is more than double the average of other Virginia shelters that year.
“We discovered that there were thousands of adoptable animals being killed,” said activist Tanya Martin. “There was no seemingly good reason for these animals to have been euthanized. Some of them were euthanized the exact day they came in.”
Martin further alleged, “They did not care about adopting the animals or letting the animals leave alive. It seems like they wanted to kill as many animals as possible.”
Paulette Dean, director of the Danville Area Humane Society, argues these statistics need context.
“Our euthanasia numbers include animals we have never seen,” Dean said. “But have been picked up by citizens or animal control officers, taken to a veterinarian because of an accident or illness and euthanized there.”
Dean emphasized the shelter’s open admission policy sets it apart from others. “We say yes to every animal, which means we take in ones that we know are unadoptable. Ones that are sick,” she explained.
The social media controversy has taken its toll on the facility’s operations. Staff members have left their positions due to safety concerns following threats against the shelter.
“When every day you know every move, you make is going to wind up as some hatred or hateful post on social media, it does take a toll,” Dean said.
While the shelter’s 2024 euthanasian numbers show improvement from 2023, they remain significantly higher than most Virginia shelters. Other organizations are now calling for operational changes at the facility as scrutiny from city residents continues to mount.