"People have the mistaken impression that animals that are in shelters are expired goods, or have passed their 'sell-by' dates," he said.
The animals are sometimes abandoned when owners have to move, if they get too large, or when owners bring home a new baby. Marro said he urges people to think of the pets as additions to their families instead of disposable commodities.
A recent VVAW initiative challenged the use of gas chambers to euthanize animals, and resulted in enough pressure that only four jurisdictions in Virginia are still using the chamber, according to the organization's Web site. Marro explained that many activists oppose the chambers because the procedure is considered less humane than the use of injections.
The group recently honored Delegate Jim Scott for his work to abolish the chambers after he sponsored bills outlawing the process. Although the bill did not pass, it resulted in closer inspection of the facilities and has helped to reduce the number that are still in operation, Marro said.
"We found out that so many animals needed homes, and so many were being killed because they didn't have homes," Marro said. He said he loves the animals he and his wife were able to rescue and encourages people to consider adopting their pets from shelters.
The VVAW also hopes to promote privatization of services, increased reporting on the animals' backgrounds at shelters and veterinary offers of medical care at reduced costs.
The organization is comprised of more than 50 members across the state who tackle issues close to their homes, and Marro said that solving the problems facing many animals today can be solved if people are willing to work together.
"The people that make laws are no different than anyone else," Marro said. "Ordinary people are the ones that can make things change."
In Fauquier, he said the SPCA has done a good job of providing care and finding homes for animals that have been displaced.
"Fauquier County is a model of animal welfare in the commonwealth," Marro said. "The people at the SPCA are compassionate, caring and dedicated people."
Judy Hagerman, executive director for the Fauquier SPCA, said she has worked with VVAW and other animal advocacy groups in the past and described them as being effective in working with lawmakers.
One of the biggest challenges in the county, she said, is finding homes for stray animals. In 2006, the SPCA took in approximately 1,290 dogs and 1,710 cats.
Of the dogs brought in, 55 percent were returned to their owners and 41 percent were adopted. The cats brought in have a much lower success rate at the shelter, and 32 percent are adopted while only 2 percent are returned to their owners.
The remaining 64 percent were euthanized, according to Hagerman. "They have to be because we just don't have the space," she said.
Hagerman explained that few cat owners contact the SPCA when their cats are missing, and the group has gotten many feral cats because land development has pushed the cats out of their habitats.
Hagerman said she was aware that some jurisdictions still allow gas chambers as a means to euthanize animals, but said it is more common in less affluent areas. The Fauquier SPCA uses injections to put animals to sleep.
The rate of euthanized dogs is far lower than cats, Hagerman said, and a very small percentage of those animals have to be put down.
"We rarely have to euthanize for space [for dogs], so it's usually [because of] behavior or age, or illness," she said.
An overpopulation of feral cats is currently a problem, and Hagerman said she encourages owners to spay or neuter their pets. The clinic is open two days each week, where a licensed veterinarian sees 14 animals per day, offering the service at a reduced cost.
The SPCA also sponsors a humane education program which sends volunteers to local elementary and middle schools to get the message out to future pet owners.
"We're very interested in teaching young people about animal care and animal responsibilities," Hagerman said.
Many pet owners start young and Liz Ross, the VVAW founders' daughter, said she's had a lifelong love for animals.
Ross began working with animal-rights groups in the late 1980s in London and has worked with the Virginia legislature since moving to Gainesville.
Her passion for animals comes from her mother, and she said Clancy taught her about treating pets as members of the family and showing kindness to everyone.
"She's one of those people where if a bird hit the window, she'd send us off with a shoe box and tissue to the local animal hospital," Ross said.
Ross explained that the biggest concern facing companion animals is overpopulation, and she urged people to have their animals spayed or neutered. "There are just so many millions of animals that are euthanized every year because of overbreeding," she said.
E-mail the reporter: hhuie@timespapers.com
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