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Shelter volunteers urge Culpeper supervisors to fund industrial washers and dryers
Summary
Volunteers at the Culpeper animal shelter told the Board of Supervisors that donated household washers and dryers are failing under constant use, risking cross-contamination and extra volunteer hours; volunteers estimated industrial units cost about "8 to 10,000 per unit" and urged the county to investigate funding and interim solutions.
Cynthia Sierra, a volunteer at the Culpeper Bridal Shelter, told the Board of Supervisors on July 7 that the shelter’s donated household washer and dryer are not built for the volume of laundry the facility handles and are leading volunteers to take hundreds of loads home.
"The washer and dryer that we use are donations. Both were designed for regular household use. They were not designed for multiple loads of heavy laundry," Sierra said, describing daily loads of blankets, towels and small dog beds for the shelter’s 30 to 40 dogs. She warned that improperly cleaned laundry creates an opportunity for "cross contamination and spread of zoonotic diseases and viruses to both animals and people." Sierra said industrial units "run at about 8 to 10,000 per unit."
Autumn Carrero, another shelter volunteer, echoed Sierra’s appeal and emphasized the scale: "Now imagine doing laundry for 30 over 30 animals a week." A third volunteer, who identified only as Austin, also spoke at the forum and suggested painting a mural on the shelter building to improve the site’s appearance.
Board members thanked volunteers for their service and asked staff to follow up. One board member addressed the shelter director by name and said he would discuss options: "I will talk with Kyle about it," the supervisor said. Another speaker asked the chair or county staff (Mister McCrum was referenced) to have someone look into equipment needs.
The board did not vote on funding at the meeting. The volunteers requested county assistance in exploring replacements and interim solutions, including a suggestion from Sierra for a low-cost solar clothesline as a temporary measure until an industrial dryer could be procured.
