When the court needs to investigate a problem at a Northern Virginia animal farm, they call on a lady who has made it her life’s work to save animals. Hilleary Bogley serves as a volunteer, court-appointed humane investigator for Fauquier and Culpeper counties.
For the past 20 years, Bogley has led a dedicated team of staff and volunteers as they care for all kinds of animals who are at-risk or in danger. Originally from Potomac, Maryland, she went to school to become a licensed veterinary technician. It was during this time she found she preferred working with abused animals.
After moving to Virginia, she opened Scruffy’s Ice Cream Parlor in Middleburg. The ice cream parlor didn’t make it, but she did raise a lot of community interest, support and awareness through her Scruffy’s Strays program, which helped find homes for unwanted animals. It also allowed her to gain community support for a shelter and to raise money to start the Middleburg Humane Foundation (MHF), which specializes in rescuing, rehabilitating and adopting out a variety of animals: cats, dogs, horses and other farm animals.
In the summer of 1994, the MHF was incorporated and listed as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a board of directors. They purchased an abandoned turn-of-the-century farmhouse on 4.5 acres located in the hill country of the Virginia Piedmont.
My wife and I learned about MHF when Linda, while returning from our vets office, spotted a little Yorkshire Terrier standing in a vacant parking lot looking lost, scared and hungry. She approached the scared dog, but it took off into the woods. Upon contacting MHF, they provided instructions on how to lure the small dog to a humane trap. We captured the dog and took it to the foundation. The dog was adopted after getting the proper shots and care.
Currently, there are six horses, 25 cats and 25 dogs, along with an assorted collection of other farm animals at MHF. In addition, there are horses being housed at foster horse farms in the area that are waiting for adoption.
“In addition to the 11 people on staff,” Bogley says, “there are about 40 very active volunteers including a core group of 20 dedicated volunteers and the others who assist on a regular basis. We love our volunteers and depend on them to keep the place running.”
Among the programs that MHF sponsors are a very active TNR (trap, spay/neuter and return) services program called Controlling Cats Compassionately. MHF has performed TNR on over 200 cats this year.
There are also basic canine behavior and training classes—a six-week course providing an overview and structure for learning how to train and work with basic canine behavior. Other programs include an equine rescue program, a grooming salon and public awareness and education programs.
Earlier this year, MHF purchased a 23-acre campus on the other side of Marshall. According to Bogley, “We will start the construction of our barn/livestock facilities by the end of this year, and it will be about an eight-month build. Then we hope to start the construction of the adoption facility/veterinary clinic/grooming salon by spring of 2015 with an expected 18-month to two-year build.”
If compassion and dedication are the key elements to success, then Hilleary Bogley will ensure the Middleburg Humane Foundation will make moving to the new facility a reality. –Peter Smolens
Middleburg Humane Foundation
4094 Whiting Road, Marshall; 540-364-3272
(December 2014)
