About Us

Florence Ogdon, Animal Activist. In 1986, the land at the corner of Fairgrounds Road and Hidden Rock was donated to Goochland County in Ms. Ogdon's memory to build the first Goochland Animal Shelter.

Corky Marks, first Animal Protection Officer in Goochland. Served for 30 years until his retirement in 2013.

Becky Dickson, Goochland County Administrator. In 2013, Ms. Dickson began laying the groundwork for where we are today.
It was Becky's dream to form a public/private partnership between Goochland County and an organization to celebrate the human-pet bond. Becky also saw the need for the County of Goochland to partner with a nonprofit who would raise additional money for an adoption wing and County-wide programs. Goochland Pet Lovers was created in the fall of 2016 and we committed and raised $1.25 million for the County to add an adoption wing to this state-of-the-art, 14,000 square foot facility. Thanks to all of the County’s support and the generous support from our donors, the Goochland County Animal Shelter and Adoption Center opened in June 2020.

Goochland Pet Lovers established the Dr. Lori L. Elliott Medical Fund in November 2019. This fund was named for Dr. Lori L. Elliott for her unwavering dedication to the animals of Goochland County. The purpose of the Dr. Lori L. Elliott Medical Fund is to supplement funding budgeted by Goochland County for animals in the Goochland County Animal Shelter and Adoption Center (shelter). The animals in the shelter are stray, unclaimed and/or abandoned in need of care and a forever home. These restricted funds provide the optimal care these animals need to enhance their chances of adoption and include the spay/neuter of every eligible dog and cat, along with funding for medical treatment, medical supplies, shelter supplies and training. We are committed to providing animal training by a licensed dog trainer or cat behavior specialist to any eligible animal at the shelter. GPL is devoted to making the animals in the shelter more adoptable.
The Good Neighbor Fund (GNF) launched in February 2021. This program was formed to strengthen families and individuals by offering financial assistance and coordinating low/no-cost vet care to allow families to keep their pets healthy and in their homes. The Good Neighbor Fund provides need-based financial assistance for preventive and minor/basic pet care for Goochland residents who reside at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.