by Suzyn Barron, President of Warwick Valley Humane Society, Inc.
Did you know November 2nd through November 8th of this year is National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week? The Humane Society of the United States, now known as Humane World for Animals, founded National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week in 1996 to acknowledge and appreciate the role of animal shelters in communities all over the country. The term ‘animal shelter’ originated after the use of ‘pound,’ as in ‘dog pound,’ took on a negative connotation.
Before the 1970s, shelters focused on the humane euthanasia of animals that were not adopted or reclaimed after a period of time. Most animal shelters today care for, return, or re-home, lost or neglected pets with no time limits. We reach out to the veterinary community for guidance on both the physical and behavioral health of these animals, eliminating the stigma that animals in shelters are unhealthy or unadoptable, except for those beyond medical or behavioral intervention.
This annual event is meant to encourage the public to understand the level of work involved in caring for animals and to volunteer to help at their local animal shelter. It is also meant to acknowledge the hard-working people who support the shelters through donations of supplies and monetary contributions. Many animal shelters such as ours are non-profit. This means we depend on donations and grants to stay open even though we contract with three towns for 24/7 animal control services that protect people and pets. These contracts cover less than 25% of our total yearly budget. Animal sheltering primarily serve the function of finding a home for stray animals and facilitating reuniting lost pets with their owners. However, many homeless animals, having been let down by their previous families require training, behavior assessments, grooming, and other medical care prior to adoption. As a Humane Society our mission also includes humane education and the alleviation and investigation into suspected animal neglect. Animal abuse cases cause a tremendous financial, emotional, and physical strain on shelters and staff in addition to the daily care of shelter pets. Animal shelter staff work tirelessly to care for and rescue animals for often below-average wages, making it even more important to recognize their dedication during this dedicated week. Our morning volunteers are amazed at the volume of work involved in cleaning, feeding and medicating the animals every morning taking up to four or more hours to complete. It is an eye opener to see what really goes on at a shelter on any given day. It’s one thing to be told about it and it’s quite another to experience firsthand.
So, for National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week we are requesting donations of daily supplies which can be found on our website at wvhumane.org or monetary donations towards the care of the animals. Donations can be brought to our facility on Saturday, November 8th during our Open House. Join us for cider and cookies hosted by the Town of Chester, meet the staff and pets for adoption and tour the facility that you support with your kind words and contributions. As former president, Gretchen Wyler would say it’s “For The Animals”!
Pet of The Week
