Humane Society saving, raising funds

Published 2:51 pm Wednesday, January 10, 2018

By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

The Chilton County Humane Society is set to save hundreds of dollars, simply by changing their Pay Pal account.

The new account has been set up and is ready to take donations from the organization’s website (chiltoncountyhumanesociety.org).

Board members recently realized that the fees associated with the account would be waived if it was set up for a nonprofit. A previous board had not made this distinction when setting up this initial account.

The switch comes at a good time, as the Humane Society is trying to raise enough money to replace outdated heaters and fund the spay/neuter voucher program.

Vice President Kristi Hyche said the Vanguard heaters in the intake room and large dog run are original to the building and approximately 30 years old.

Changes to the Alabama Spay/Neuter Clinic’s voucher program now require that the Humane Society buy the vouchers up front, and then sell them to the community.

“We sell them for the same price (we pay),” Hyche said.

Those who purchase vouchers can have a pet spayed or neutered at the Alabama Spay/Neuter Clinic for a discounted rate.

The cost is simply the cost of the vouchers. Prices under the new program are $40 for a female spay voucher, $35 for male dog neuter, $35 for a female cat spay and $30 for a male cat neuter.

She said the goal of the voucher program is not to make money but to help the community from having unwanted pets.

“It helps keep the owner surrenders (to the shelter) down because it helps the community spay and neuter their pets,” Hyche said. “That way they can help us keep the pet population down.”

The vouchers became available to Chilton County residents on Jan. 11. Hyche said the shelter has 10 vouchers for each of the four animal categories, but additional funding is needed to keep the program going.

Donations of office supplies and cleaning supplies are also being accepted.

For those who would rather donate time to the organization, volunteer opportunities are available. Hyche said this could include walking dogs, preparing cages, etc. Those interested in volunteering should contact shelter director Tonya Terreros at 205-755-9170.