Old Dominion Humane Society Houses Highest Number Of Rescue Dogs Ever

Since she founded Old Dominion Humane Society (ODHS) in 2013, Chrissy Hamilton said the number of dogs at the facility is at nearly 300, an all-time high. One of the reasons is an uptick in cases dealing with irresponsible commercial and backyard breeding facilities. Animal control offices throughout Virginia have received reports about animals existing in uninhabitable conditions—living outdoors in severe weather, having barely any food or water and being locked in crates day after day--leading them to seize dogs more and more.

Daenerys (in photo) is a sweet and snuggly girl who’s great with dogs and cats. Her goal is to be loved, and she’s looking for a forever family. Chrissy Hamilton, founder of ODHS, said the facility is at an all-time high with 300 dogs rescued from neglect, cruelty and surrenders. An uptick of cases dealing with irresponsible commercial and backyard breeding facilities has been rampant, and ODHS works to save these dogs. Hamilton is grateful that members of the community and ODHS fosters have helped to care and nurture so many dogs, making room for more at the facility. In turn, adopting a dog from ODHS and other rescues and shelters makes room to save other dogs from a lifetime of mistreatment. Visit Daenerys and other available dogs at ODHS during adoption events and other activities.

“Animal control offices have their hands full with seizing dogs from irresponsible dog breeders right now,” said Hamilton. “These breeders are selling the dogs to puppy stores, and some are supplying several of them. One group bred labrador retrievers to sell to service dog companies. ODHS and other rescues have worked with the animal control offices to save as many of these dogs as we can.”

Hamilton has participated in many rescue efforts in every corner of Virginia and beyond throughout the years, and 2026 has already proven to be a busy one. She’s seen the saddest situations, including dogs living in overcrowded cages with little to no shelter and being exposed to all types of extreme weather. Many of the dogs lay in excrement day in and day out and suffer from starvation and malnutrition. Sick or dying animals get little attention and no veterinary care. After a life of constant breeding, many of the dogs are destroyed or discarded.

Commercial breeding facilities or “puppy mills” continuously produce dogs to sell at pet stores or advertise through classified ads and the Internet. Some breeders house hundreds of dogs in cages for their entire lives with the purpose of producing puppies continuously. Whether it’s to create purebred dogs or the newest fad in “designer” mixed breeds, their entire reason for existence is to reproduce.

A no-kill rescue, ODHS saves as many dogs from these cases as they can hold at the facility, bringing them to surroundings where they’ll be cared for, taken to a veterinarian, if necessary, placed with foster families to decompress and to finally be able to trust humans as they socialize with volunteers.

“ODHS is extremely active in saving the dogs from these cases, and we’re grateful for the fosters and people in the community who’ve stepped in to nurture and care for so many of our rescues,” said Hamilton. “With this combined effort, there’s more room at the facility to save other dogs from mistreatment. The ultimate goal is to find loving families to adopt these dogs. The best thing to do if you’re looking to add a dog to the family is adopt from a rescue or shelter. When you adopt from ODHS, you’re saving a dog’s life and keeping him from living a miserable existence as we’ve seen in so many of these cases.”