By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
Kitten season has arrived in Tucker County. Currently at the Tucker County Animal Shelter, there are 30 cats and 15 dogs in their care, according to Shelter Director Stacey Canfield. Canfield revealed the numbers as part of her report to the Tucker County Commission on May 14th.
“If you’ve been to the Shelter, you won’t feel that overwhelming number because we’ve had a lot of fosters step up,” Canfield said.
Besides the regular fosters that the Shelter works with, Canfield said she is working on trying to establish a relationship with the local libraries on a program to swap foster cats in and out of local libraries.
“We’re trying to work on the libraries around here to get a kitty in there and keep fostering in and out,” Canfield said. “It gives kids that come in and want to read somebody to hang out with and folks, too.”
Canfield said that the Shelter is trying to get some of the animals out into the community and into local businesses on a program to swap foster cats in and out of local libraries.
“We’re trying to work on the libraries around here to get a kitty in there and keep fostering in and out,” Canfield said. “It gives kids that come in and want to read somebody to hang out with and folks, too.” Canfield said that the Shelter is trying to get some of the animals out into the community and into local businesses. She said that while the majority of businesses are restaurants and therefore not the best fit, libraries would be a good place to start.
With so many animals in their care, the Shelter has been trying to fund raise for vet bills. According to Canfield, vet bills at the Shelter stay consistently between $2,500 and $5,000 a month.
“That’s because every medical supply that we have to order has to come from the vet itself because we don’t have one on staff we can’t just go and order vaccines online, antibiotics, syringes, anything, anything has to come directly from Harper Animals,” Canfield said. “We are very grateful that they let us access through them, but vet care is very expensive.”
Mountain State Brewing in Thomas donated $616 to the Shelter from the dollar bills that people write their names on and stick on the wall. According to Canfield, the company continues to collect donations in the same manner for the Shelter in the future. Canfield was very grateful for the donation.
“That was a big shock,” Canfield said. “$616 in this day and age doesn’t seem like a lot, but that will cover six kitten neuters or two to three dog spays/neuters so its a big number for us.”
Other fundraisers included a cakewalk in front of the Courthouse that generated $310, according to Canfield. The Shelter was also anticipating their annual golf tournament the 17th at Holly Meadows.
Canfield said the Shelter is also looking for fundraising ideas.
“We’re always looking for new ideas to be thrown at us,” Canfield said.
In the month of April, the Tucker County Animal Shelter brought in 11 cats, 4 dogs and adopted out 8 cats and 4 dogs There are also currently three cats and three dogs in foster care through the Shelter. Five cats and one dog were transferred to outside organizations in the month of April, as well. Two dogs were reclaimed by their owners that were brought in as strays, which was a rarity for the Shelter.
