Transportation Services

Celebrating 20 Years of Service and Stepping Boldly Into the Future

For the past 20 years, the Margaret B. Mitchell Spay/Neuter Clinic and Bristol Humane Society have proudly offered free transportation services for pet owners across Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. Thanks to this program, dogs and cats have been transported from rural and underserved areas to our clinic for spay and neuter surgeries—at no additional cost to their families. This innovative program began as a partnership between our clinic and local animal welfare organizations in each county. These organizations scheduled appointments within their communities, while we facilitated the transportation to and from Bristol.  Unfortunately, over the years we have lost many of our partner animal welfare groups and all logistics and customer communication fell on us, and we are unable to sustain that.  As the only low-cost veterinary clinic in the region, we’ve seen firsthand the immense demand for affordable, accessible veterinary care.

While our priority and core mission remain to end pet overpopulation through spay/neuter surgeries, our understanding of the challenges faced by pet owners has grown. We now recognize that keeping pets out of shelters means supporting families in more comprehensive ways.

That’s why our services have expanded. In 2015, we launched monthly vaccination clinics to help protect pets from preventable diseases. In 2022, we carved out space in our already-cramped facility to begin offering low-cost wellness care, treating approximately 7,000 pets each year from a single exam room—just two days a week.

But the need is greater than ever.

Recognizing this, in early 2024, our leadership team and Board of Directors committed to a transformational new chapter. We’re excited that we are officially under construction on a new facility that will allow us to serve even more pets and people, more often, and more effectively.

As part of this growth, we’ve rebranded under the broader name Bristol Humane Society, with the Margaret B. Mitchell Spay/Neuter Clinic continuing as a vital part of our expanded mission. Our new facility will allow us to:

• Offer low-cost veterinary wellness care five days a week
• Increase our surgery capacity with additional surgical tables
• Launch a free pet food and supplies pantry for families facing hardship
• Continue exploring new ways to support pet owners across the region

We know we can’t do everything—but we are committed to doing as much as possible, for as many as possible.

With growth comes reflection and difficult decisions. One such decision has been the future of our transport program.  Over the years, this program has become increasingly costly and complex, particularly as some local animal welfare partners have disbanded. In many cases, our staff stepped in to fill those roles so the service could continue. We’ve poured more than $1 million into the transport program over the past 20 years, keeping it afloat despite increasing logistical challenges.

Now, during the construction of our new facility, the physical layout of our building has made it even harder to safely load and unload animals. With limited access to our building, we are faced with realities we can no longer avoid.

Beginning in July 2025, we will be scaling back transport services and will no longer be able to serve the counties of Lee, Dickenson, and Tazewell via our transport program. This was an incredibly difficult decision made only after months of discussion, and one based solely on logistics and sustainability, not on our commitment to these communities.

Let us be clear: We remain dedicated to serving pets and their people in these counties. Surgery appointments will still be available, just without clinic-arranged transportation. We’re hopeful that communities can step in with new solutions, just as we’ve done many times before. We will be here to support you however we can. For the remaining counties, our transport program will continue for now. However, our long-term goal is to empower each community to create its own sustainable way to bring patients to us.  As our transport program changes in the coming months, please know that all decisions are made for the greater good.  Our goal is to put our resources to use in ways that provide benefit for as many pets and people as possible.

Looking Ahead, Together

We know change can be hard. It’s hard for us, too. But these changes are part of our deep commitment to long-term sustainability and greater impact. Every decision we make is driven by our passion to help as many pets and their people as possible, all in an effort to keep pets in their homes and out of shelters. We are incredibly proud of the work we’ve done together with you—pet owners, shelters, rescue groups, and volunteers. We ask that you continue to stand with us as we grow, change, and fight to create a future where no pet must suffer for lack of access to care.

Together, we will build a stronger, healthier region for the animals—and the people—who call it home.

With gratitude,
The Team at Bristol Humane Society & Margaret B. Mitchell Spay/Neuter Clinic