In the Beginning, There Were Two Stray Dogs... In the summer of 2002, two stray dogs wandered onto the property of an Oxford Mills couple. New to the area, the couple asked the neighbors if Jones County had an animal shelter. One neighbor said they should shoot the dogs and another suggested they call the sheriff’s office. They were so disgusted at the suggestion of shooting a dog they called the sheriff’s office only to learn that the nearest animal shelter was in Jackson County. They loaded...

Our Philosophy and Programs From our beginning, we've been driven to establish an organization that balances rescuing and caring for animals with educating the humans on whom these animals rely for a peaceful, safe and healthy life. The decisions we make daily, and the programs we offer, reflect this philosophy. Rescue After years of fundraising and planning, we've completed Jones County's first animal shelter. We've built relationships with officials in Jones County and its cities that a...

In May 2006, AWF embarked on a campaign to raise funds to build an animal shelter in Jones County. In the next 10 years, we raised nearly $250,000 towards this goal. After years of hard work, AWF was able to purchase land for the shelter in 2012. The 8.68 acres, located just north of Monticello at off Highway 151, gave us plenty of space for not just a shelter, but also a dog park and additional animal event spaces. After this purchase, the AWF board began working on the plans for the anim...