Kathy Davieds & Lila Borge co-founded VA PAWS

From The Roanoke Times article

Finding a balance between pets and profits

A fire at a Bland County kennel raises questions about morals, animal rights and economic freedom.

By Donna Alvis-Banks

“The women piled into Lila Borge Wills' Nissan Pathfinder like soldiers clambering into a tank, coming directly from work for the 90-minute drive from Christiansburg to Bland County .

On this day, they were set to do battle with the puppy mill issue. Another day, it might be a covert sting operation to bust a disreputable backyard breeder or infiltrate the home of a cat hoarder.

There's an underground railroad of sorts, operated by a network of people who call themselves animal welfare advocates.

"We just keep networks up through all of the animal welfare groups," explained Wills, a wildlife biologist at Virginia Tech's Corporate Research Center . Wills and Floyd County veterinarian Kathy Davieds founded the Virginia Partnership for Animal Welfare -- or VA PAWS -- in 1998 with a mission of offering education and public outreach on a local level.“

See the entire Article here http://ww2.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/122014/