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Rescuing animals is not for the faint of heart. Luckily, Angels of Assisi doesn’t back down from a challenge.
Pets are a huge part of the family, so it’s no surprise that people in our community love their animals. There’s no doubt the pet owners played a part in awarding Angels of Assisi Platinum in both “Best Veterinarian Services” and “Most Worthy Group to Donate to” in the Best of Roanoke 2020 reader awards.
Executive Director Lisa O’Neill leads the team in helping our community and their pets, and says the awards were extra special this year because of the work they’re putting together for a capital campaign. The recognition will help their campaign, with all donations going towards their new facility.
“We’re counting on our community to help us get to reach our goals,” she says. “We have great faith it will happen because of them.”
At time of press, the team is working on permits and plan to break ground this spring, followed by a year to a year and a half of construction. As their current building is almost 100 years old, they work hard to keep it clean, but many obstacles, including facility size, is a hindrance. Their new building will allow the team to expand their services to include twice as many surgeries and see twice as many clients; their adoption center will also include a rehabilitation space, offering the opportunity to work with animals in need of rehab due to abuse or neglect.
“Our main job is to keep pets in their homes, out of local pounds and off the chains in the backyard,” O’Neill says. “Sometimes people fall on hard times and our main mission is to do anything we can to help families keep their pets, and keep them healthy.”
O’Neill loves everything about her job, from the people who wait for hours in the lobby for their pet to be seen to those who come in and adopt their homeless animals as part of their own families. The Angels of Assisi staff works tirelessly to help animals in need, and is often out in the trenches on properties for hours rescuing animals on chains or in hoarding situations. ω
ω “We have some very long days,” she admits. “Animal rescue is not for the faint of heart.”
When O’Neill and her coworkers see so many tough situations, she reminds them of the famous Mr. Rogers quote: “Look for the helpers.”
“When we come across a bad situation, it’s hard to fathom, but we also get to see all the good in people; those who donate, bring towels, blankets and laundry detergent; little things like copy paper makes such a huge difference in our world,” O’Neill says.
She encourages outsiders to sit in their lobby for a day to witness the people who come in on their bikes or motorized wheelchairs to pick up food from their pet pantry, along with everyone who works hard to keep animals safe and healthy.
“We’re lucky because we get to see all the good in people,” O’Neill says. “We love being part of the Roanoke Valley and work really hard to serve the people here. It means a lot that people nominated us for these awards and from the bottom of our hearts, we thank everyone who voted for us.”
To stay updated on their new facility and learn more about how you can help, visit Angelsofassisi.org.
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