Local vet plans fundraiser to help animals displaced by W.Va. flood
WAYNESBURG – A Greene County veterinarian is holding a vaccination clinic Saturday to raise money to send to Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association to help animals displaced by last month’s significant flooding in West Virginia.
Anita McMillen, the veterinarian who runs Braden Run Animal Hospital at 216 Braden Run Road in Franklin Township, will hold the clinic from noon to 4 p.m.
“I’m from southern West Virginia, Putnam County, and I was down there during the flooding,” she said. “There are thousands of displaced dogs and cats out there.”
McMillen said since the floods struck nearly a month ago, killing at least 23 people, Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association has been vaccinating and treating lost and displaced animals, mostly dogs and cats. She said they’ve also been microchipping animals and trying to reunite them with their owners.
“They’re doing this at their own cost without any financial assistance,” McMillen said. “They’re even doing mobile clinics. I was really impressed and touched and that’s what made me want to do this.”
Along with rabies and other vaccinations, McMillen’s clinic will also have other pet products at a reduced price, a bake sale and a raffle, with all of the proceeds going to Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association.
“It’s about what I can do as a veterinarian to help,” she said. “I thought I could help the animals, because that’s my area of expertise.”
McMillen said while she was in West Virginia last month, she drove past Clendenin, one of the towns hit hardest by the flooding.
“It’s off the map,” she said. “It’s just gone.”
McMillen, who has run Braden Run Road practice since 2001, said she called the humane association in West Virginia to see what donations they needed. They told her “we need money,” she said, because they’ve already received numerous donations of animal food, cat litter and other supplies.
“That’s the good thing about West Virginia – they band together and help each other,” she said.
People can drop off donations during Saturday’s clinic or mail donations directly to the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association at 1248 Greenbrier St., Charleston, WV 25311.