GLOUCESTER COUNTY, Va. — Everyday heroes are everywhere. Sometimes they are your next-door neighbor, and sometimes you have to find them down a gravel road about an hour and a half away. But for the staff, animals, and supporters of Gloucester County Animal Control, the hero they met this week was worth every mile.
Joyce Emerson, known simply as Ms. Joyce to everyone at the shelter, received the surprise of a lifetime on her very first day back volunteering following a recent medical leave.
News 3 arrived at the facility to present Emerson with the latest "Everyday Hero" award, catching the longtime volunteer completely off guard.
"I'm not one for talking, but I've had so much support from the community, the volunteers," Emerson said, tearfully accepting the plaque. "I just never knew how much I was loved."
For nearly 20 years, Emerson has dedicated her daily life to the shelter's population, carving out a vital niche by taking in the animals that are most frequently overlooked.
"I try to take in all like the hospice dogs and the senior dogs," Emerson said. "Because it's just as rewarding to me as it is to the dogs."
Her impact on the facility cannot be overstated. According to Jacqueline Wilson, Chief of Gloucester County Animal Control, Emerson's tireless work with foster programming and adoptions has completely transformed their operations.
"She is actually my best friend," Wilson said. "She is the heart of the shelter."
Wilson noted that under Emerson's care, the facility recently achieved a historic milestone.
"Honestly we just became no kill status, meaning that over 96% of our dogs get out alive because of Joyce, since 2022," Wilson said. To further honor her dedication, Emerson was also presented with a $425 Visa gift card courtesy of community partners at Southern Bank, which included an extra $125 in celebration of the bank's 125th anniversary.
"Wow, like I say, I'm not one much for words unless we're talking about a dog," Emerson laughed.
The award presentation also marked an emotional milestone for Ashley Hutchinson, the person who originally wrote to the station to nominate Emerson for the honor. Up until the surprise, Hutchinson and Emerson had only ever spoken over the telephone.
Walking into the shelter to see the celebration marked the very first time the two women met face-to-face.
"I knew you did a lot. You knew you did a lot, OK?" Hutchinson told Emerson during the emotional meeting. "So I think we're all realizing that you do way more than we even knew you were doing."
With the surprise complete, Emerson is now right back where she belongs—surrounded by a community that refused to let her 20 years of love go unnoticed.
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