A Humane Society

“The goal underlying public animal control agencies is the protection of human populations by enforcing animal ordinances and picking up or accepting stray or unwanted animals. Private humane societies focus on animal welfare and view their shelters as refuges for companion animals who otherwise would be abandoned, abused, or inhumanely killed.”

-C. Moulton, P. Wright, K. Rindy

The Anderson Humane Society and Anderson County Animal Control are vital resources for the animals and people of Anderson County. Last year, 499 dogs and 430 cats were taken in by the Anderson Humane Society and Anderson County Animal Control according to Anderson Humane Society Director Donna Callahan. We have all been impacted by pets either by having pets ourselves or having friends or family members that have had their lives improved by a constant companion. As a humane society volunteer, I have seen the grief of owners feeling like have no choice but to give over their beloved pet and animals scared and confused by their new environment. In this discussion, we will be focusing on the work of the Anderson Humane Society. Through joint efforts with Anderson County Animal Control, the Anderson County Humane Society provides services such as animal relocation, veterinary bill assistance, and community support while on a limited budget provided solely through private and corporate donations.

The Anderson Humane Society building is small with the capacity for up to 20 dogs and 24 cats inside their facility. When conditions allow, Anderson Animal Control provides overflow housing doubling capacity when needed. According to Donna Callahan, Anderson Humane Society Director, in 2014, 360 dogs and 191 cats were either returned to owners, sent to rescues, or adopted from the Anderson Humane Society and Anderson Animal Control. These animals included strays and owner turn-ins that would otherwise be on the streets, getting into garbage for food, and hiding around buildings for shelter. Dogs and cats can be adopted for less than the amount to cover their veterinary care. This increases the chances of animals being adopted by people seeking pets as they are less expensive than pets offered from breeders and pet stores. Some animals go to rescues and other pet adoption facilities. There are several breed specific rescues that have the resources to find foster and permanent homes. These rescues mainly focus on dogs though there are a few for cat breeds as well. Surprisingly, some pet adoptions facilities in other areas of the county cannot keep up with demand and transport animals from more overpopulated shelters.

The best way to keep animals from needing rescue is to increase overall health and reduce population growth. The largest part of Anderson Humane Society budget goes toward veterinary care. This care is for animals both inside and outside the facility. Spay and Neuter Programs help keep animal populations in check while improving the health of the animals themselves. Though Anderson County does not distinguish age data in their reporting, a study done in Wichita found that in the shelter studied the ratio of dogs versus puppies was almost even; however, when looking at the cat populations at the shelter, kittens outnumbered adult cats 2:1 “which suggests that these shelters are functioning as repositories for the community’s unwanted litters.” (Shore) This would not be an issue if animals, both housed and stray, were spayed and neutered before they were able to reproduce. All animals are vaccinated and spayed/neutered before adoption/rescue. The humane society also offers assistance with vet care to the community to encourage responsible pet ownership. This also decreases the chances of an owner feeling like they must relinquish their pet due to hardship. Spay/neutering vouchers can be purchased for as little as $25 to county residence and are accepted by most local vets. Every May, a rabies clinic is offered in a joint effort with the local health department. Owners simply bring their pet to the health department and rabies shots are administered for $5. As an added convenience, this is done in a “fast food” manner in which owners do not even need to leave their vehicles.

Vet care isn’t the only community assistance offered. Anderson Humane Society is currently working on a program to help senior citizens foster and care for pets during hospital stays. This program would match volunteers with those persons who are unable to care for their pet due to hospital stays. The volunteer would visit the residence daily to care for the pet during short stays or foster the animal by bringing them into the volunteer’s home for longer stays. This program is designed to keep pet and owner together for as long as possible.

Anderson Humane Society does all of this with a very limited and fluid budget. Anderson Humane Society is a 501(3)c non-profit organization. They do not receive any government funds and depend entirely on corporate and individual donations. Limited budget means limited ability to meet mission. A small portion of Anderson Humane Society donations come from companies such as Wal-Mart and Petco. Most companies set aside funds to support local organizations. These funds tend to be spread over several groups thus limiting the amount that can go toward one charity. Local businesses allow use of their space for fundraisers and adoption events. Donations from individuals make up the majority of resources. Supply drives are held when items such as food are running low. Volunteers setup in front of a business and provide customers with “wish lists” of what the shelter needs. Supporters add a few items from the list to their cart and drop the items off as they leave the store. Monetary donations are collected through fundraisers and donation drives. Though Anderson Humane does not have an endowment as some local shelters have, they do offer families to ask people to donate in lieu of flowers when a loved one passes. Special events such as brunches and concerts are held throughout the year in cooperation with local business to raise awareness of the needs of Anderson Humane Society. Though Anderson Humane Society has a handful of paid employees, most work is done through volunteers. Volunteers clean the holding areas, work the supply drives and special events, and help socializes the animals.

Anderson Humane plays a vital role in maintaining the quality of life for pets and pet owners given limited funding and resources. They do this through finding new homes for as many animals as possible, reducing the number of animals able to reproduce, and providing community support to help keeps owners and pets together. Last year, 499 dogs and 430 cats were taken in by the Anderson Humane Society and Anderson County Animal Control. 360 dogs and 191 cats were either returned to owners, sent to rescues, or adopted. That means factors including poor health, aggressive behavior, and, unfortunately, limited resources and space resulted almost 28% of these dogs and over 55% these cats being euthanized. The key factor in making this number go down is community awareness and support of the large unaltered animal population.

References

Callahan, Donna. Personal Interview. 16 Mar 2014

Shore, Elsie R., et al. “Characteristics of Animals Entering an Animal Control or Humane Society Shelter in a Midwestern City.” Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science 4.2 (2001): 105-115. Print

Moulton C. Wright P., Rindy K. “The role of animal shelters in controlling pet overpopulation.” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.198 (2001): 1172–1176. Print