WYTHE COUNTY, Va. – Dr. Brian Pettit and his wife Stacey moved to Southwest Virginia in 2013 and soon afterward launched a dental practice in the heart of Wytheville.

It was during this same time that the couple visited the local dog shelter and adopted a boxer named Ember.

“Rescuing Ember opened our eyes to the way dogs should be treated,” said Stacey Pettit, adding, “Ember quickly became a very important member of our family.”

It was because of the couple’s newfound love for their boxer that Stacey began volunteering at the Wythe County Animal Shelter.

Pettit, along with several others, arrive at the shelter at 8:30 in the morning and walk the dogs being housed, as well as give them “love and treats.”

“We just want to make for sure that the dogs have an opportunity to get out. There is a core group of about six volunteers who are faithful.”

Pettit said that while volunteering at the shelter she noticed a need.

“The shelter has a heater, but as it got hotter, we realized there is no air conditioner.”

In order to meet this need, this past Wednesday Stacey presented the Wythe County Animal Shelter with a check, on behalf of the offices of Dr. Jeffrey B. Pettit, DDS, PC, in the amount of $1,280.84 – the amount necessary to purchase air conditioning units at the shelter. The Wythe County Buildings & Grounds Department will install the units thanks to Envision Environmental donating the necessary equipment and tools to perform the installation.

“We are really appreciative not only of this donation, but also of the faithful volunteer work Stacey and so many others do for the dogs being housed in our shelter on a daily basis,” said Wythe County Code Enforcement Officer A.B. Dunford.

This past month, the Wythe County Dog Shelter underwent a state inspection and passed without a single violation.

“There has been a steady push in making our dog shelter the very best possible and this donation will go a long way helping this to become a reality,” concluded Dunford.

Individuals wishing to volunteer at the dog shelter are encouraged to contact Dunford by calling the dog shelter at 276-228-6003.

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