Lunenburg County Animal Control Officer Ray Elliott is going to spend Thanksgiving in a very different way: He’ll be locked up in a dog kennel at the animal control shelter from 6 p.m.-6 a.m., instead of with his family.

He will have no bed, no blanket, no food and no luxuries.

Elliott’s doing this, he said, to raise $12,000 — $1,000 per dog kennel — to help low-income families in Lunenburg County with spay/neuter assistance through a partnership with Southside Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SCPA) and local veterinarians.

“I don’t want a pat on the back, just help for our animals,” Elliott said, adding he was inspired by the dumping of animals and overpopulation of cats.

The next closest site right now is in South Boston, he said.

“Local vets will be used to perform the spaying and neutering,” he said.

A small fee will apply, but help with transportation will be available as well.

Another part of his motivation: “It will cut down on expenses to the county,” Elliott said. “Talking won’t fix the problem.”

All donations are tax-deductible and can be made online at www.southsidespca.org or by mailing them to P.O. Box 66, Meherrin,VA 23954. For more information or assistance, call (434) 917-9065.