At CASPCA, we’re used to being the ones helping animals. This week, a group of four-legged landscapers returned the favor, eating their way through a big project for us!
These natural born landscapers spent several days munching their way through dense, overgrown areas of our six-acre property, helping us prepare the land for an exciting new project: nature-based play parks and walking trails designed to enrich the lives of the animals in our care.
Using goats for land clearing isn’t just fun to watch (though our staff and volunteers will tell you, it
is endlessly entertaining) — it’s also a sustainable and environmentally friendly practice. Instead of using heavy machinery or chemicals, our goats safely cleared invasive brush and thorny growth while naturally fertilizing the soil. It’s a low-impact, earth-friendly first step toward maximizing the space we have and creating areas where shelter dogs, staff, volunteers, and visitors can experience the calming benefits of nature.
Sustainability is core to our mission. Just as we are dedicated to improving the lives of companion animals, we are equally committed to protecting the land and wildlife that share our community. Our campus sits in the Piedmont region of Virginia, nestled near the Blue Ridge Mountains, which serve as an important wildlife corridor. This area provides critical pathways for countless species — from pollinators like butterflies and bees to migrating birds and other wildlife — moving between habitats throughout the region.
This project goes beyond building play spaces for shelter dogs. By restoring these overgrown areas with native plants, we’re creating landscapes that serve a dual purpose: providing sensory enrichment for our animals while also strengthening local ecosystems and supporting migrating species who rely on these corridors for survival.
Once the cleared areas have rested, we’ll begin planting native species specifically chosen to support pollinators and the overall health of our land. These plants will also provide sensory stimulation for our shelter dogs, helping reduce stress and encourage natural behaviors like sniffing, exploring, and problem-solving. The result will be vibrant, restorative spaces that benefit all creatures who call our campus home — from the dogs in our care to monarch butterflies passing through on their journey.
This project represents a holistic approach to lifesaving. By combining enrichment for shelter animals with thoughtful land stewardship, we’re not only improving outcomes for the dogs in our kennels but also contributing to the long-term health of our broader ecosystem.
We’re deeply grateful to Goat Busters for kicking off this work in such a sustainable way and to our community of volunteers, donors, and supporters who make projects like this possible. Together, we’re proving that when people, animals, and the natural world thrive side by side, everyone wins.
Stay tuned as we share updates on the next stages of this project — from planting days to trail building — and how you can get involved in creating a future where
animal welfare and environmental conservation grow hand in hand.
