SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA — The animal welfare community across Southwest Virginia is grieving the devastating loss of Chris Haverly, founder of Tri-State Animal Rescue, who died in a tragic vehicle crash on January 28, 2026, while returning home from his weekly animal transport to Staunton.
Chris was transporting dozens of dogs and cats — as he had done countless times before — safely delivering them from under-resourced shelters in Southwest Virginia to partner rescues offering second chances and new beginnings. After completing the transport and beginning the drive home, his rescue vehicle was involved in a fatal accident. He did not survive.
For nearly a decade, Chris served as a lifeline for shelters throughout Wise County and the greater Southwest Virginia region, many of which lacked transport vehicles or licensed drivers. He routinely made the long, demanding drive to Staunton — sometimes twice a week, often starting before dawn — meeting multiple shelters along the route to carry animals toward safety. Thousands of dogs and cats escaped overcrowding, neglect, and euthanasia because Chris showed up, week after week, without fail.
Through Tri-State Animal Rescue, Chris did far more than transport. He trapped loose and abandoned dogs, fostered animals in need, delivered pet food to struggling families, drove animals to spay and neuter clinics, and tirelessly networked those still waiting for rescue placement. He was the person shelters called when no one else could help — and he always said yes.
Those who worked alongside him remember his strength, reliability, and quiet courage. Behind his gruff exterior was a man whose voice softened instantly around puppies, whose passions included NASCAR and University of Kentucky athletics, and whose life revolved entirely around helping animals. A recent news article described him perfectly: a real-life, no-frills, what-you-see-is-what-you-get rescue hero.
Just one day before his passing, Chris completed another full transport, including a mother dog and her puppies. He turned toward home — and never made it.
Southwest Virginia has lost not only a rescuer, but a cornerstone of its animal welfare network. His absence leaves a profound void, felt deeply by shelters, rescuers, volunteers, and by the countless animals whose lives were forever changed because of him.
Though hearts are broken, Chris’s legacy lives on in every animal he saved. The rescue work will continue because that is exactly how he lived, and exactly how he would want to be remembered.
