By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

The Chilton County Humane Society board approved a 25 cent raise for part-time employee Pat Hayes during a meeting on May 4.

The increase was recommended by interim director Tonya Terreros.

“She is invaluable and puts up with [us],” board member Kristi Hyche said. “She does a lot.”

Board president Katherine Recce said Hayes had been making minimum wage.

Hyche said the shelter’s rescue coordinator wanted to forgo her raise so Hayes could receive one.

Board member Jeff Melton said the employees deserve more money for all of the work that they do.

“She is worth every penny more,” Reece said. “We wish we could put it higher, but will work on it.”

Terreros will make $13 an hour when she completes her euthanasia training and goes from interim director to director.

“Fortunately, financially we are doing better than we ever have,” Reece said.

According to the treasure’s report, the Humane Society had $14,356 in the bank. Hyche added that there was $6,000 in the organization’s PayPal account. Money in this account is from donations given through the humane shelter website.

Reece said the veterinarian bill had been up last month, but a donation came in to make up the difference.

Treasurer Bill McCay will be getting with Hull & Russell about what information they need to complete the audit of the humane society.

Melton mentioned concerns about having petty cash at the shelter. Reece said a debit card is now at the shelter to purchase supplies. McCay said anytime there is petty cash at the shelter receipts are submitted for how it was spent.

Another piece of good news for the board was that the euthanasia rate at the shelter for April was down to 3 percent.

There were 187 brought to the shelter in April. There were 22 animals adopted that month and 132 went to rescue organizations.

Shelter employees will be taking an animal first aid class on May 10 by a licensed vet tech. The shelter will give the instructor $50 for her time.

Also during the meeting, the board approved reimbursing an employee $196.15 for supplies she had purchased with their own money for the euthanasia and medical rooms. Progress is being made on both the medical room and the future euthanasia rooms. Hyche said the rooms would be painted Saturday by someone who needed community service hours.