BUCKHANNON – The Lewis-Upshur Animal Control Facility hit its fundraising goal during the sold-out Winter Whisker fundraiser.

Jan Cochran, director of LUAC, said the facility managed to raise $20,094.15 during their Dec. 17 event at The Outpost & Event Center. They had a goal of raising $20,000 to start establishing their own surgical suite at LUAC, which would ensure every animal adopted out is seen by a veterinarian first.

“I think it was a great turnout,” Cochran said. “The food was wonderful. It was work for me, but everybody I’ve talked to said the food was good, and they had a good time,” Cochran said. “The support from the community was overwhelming, and I’m just really appreciative.”

Cochran said she hopes the surgical suite will be up and running by May.

“May would be getting into kitten season, so I’m hoping it will be functioning by then, but this is all going to depend on how fast we get the equipment in here,” Cochran said. “We’ve thought about doing a Valentine’s Day fundraiser, just in case we do run into some stuff we may not have accounted for.”

Cochran has talked to Dr. Breanna Brown with Lewis Mobile Veterinary Services, who will perform any procedures in the surgical suite.

“She is going to work with us and be the vet to do the surgeries, so once we get the surgical unit up, then we will have a meeting with her and discuss what she wants to charge per animal, what it will cost us to have her here and then that’s how we will decide what it’ll cost people to adopt the animals,” Cochran said. “Our price will go up, but you’re getting the animal looked at by a vet and they’ll be fixed, so when you adopt, the animal would stay here until surgery day, and then you’d pick it up that afternoon or most likely, we will have you pick them up the next day.”

Each animal that leaves LUAC will also be given a rabies vaccine.

“Every adoptable animal will leave with the rabies vaccine, and everything will already be fixed unless it’s going out of state,” Cochran said. “Out-of-state adopters will still be able to adopt and still send some proof back to us that they did have their animal fixed.”

To learn more about LUAC or find a new furry forever friend, please visit its website or the LUV 4 Animals Facebook page.