The Carthage Humane Society marked its 70th Anniversary on Saturday, Nov. 3 with a special event open to the community.
Visitors were able to cuddle with cats inside Kitty Haven, play with dogs in the outdoor runs and love on adoptable pets at the “Kissing Booth.” A special 70th Anniversary cake was made for the event and visitors were encouraged to enjoy a slice of the cake.
The shelter also had commemorative shirts for sale along with calendars featuring pets at the shelter with members of the Carthage Fire Department.
The shirts and calendar can still be purchased for $20 with all net proceeds going to the humane society. There were special adoption fees for the day with black cats just $7 and many of the dogs were adoptable for only $27.
Kara Kay, Carthage, and her daughter, Kaliyah, took advantage of the special and adopted three black cats to add to their family.
“Cute,” is the word Kaliyah used to describe one of the three black cats she was holding that she had just adopted.
Joseph and Sandra Bendon, of Jasper, were also there to adopt. They had their eyes on a dog named Mighty Mike.
“My sister is 83-years-old and has a son with down syndrome,” Joseph Bendon said. “We’re wanting to get Mighty Mike for them as a companion to have around.”
Humane Society Director Deborah Bell said the 70-year milestone is a significant feat.
“It’s come a long way. We’ve gone from having a gas chamber on site where they would take them out in groups, to now a no-killer shelter,” said Bell.
Bell has been the director for a year now and in that year has made huge strides in the way the animals are cared for.
“I remember when I first came here you could see the ribs on all the animals, they were only fed tiny portions and you could hear it in their hunger howls. They were starving,” added Bell.
Bell immediately reached out to the community and was able to get Blue Buffalo to donate dog food to the shelter.
She also worked on applying for grants for the shelter. The Steadley Memorial Trust, along with other donations, played a significant part in the improvements of the shelter.
“None of this would be possible without them,” Bell said.
Bell is pleased with the progress of the Trap, Neuter, Release program that was implemented. She said controlling colonies through the program is a much more humane way of handling the overpopulation of feral cats.
Bell acknowledged the improvements and larger staff to take care of the animals does come at a price.
“The operating expenses are high. We really just need money,” Bell said. “And paper towels,” she added. “You can never have enough paper towels.”
The Carthage Humane Society is participating in the Adopt-a-thon at PetsMart in Joplin from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 10. They will have many of their adoptable pets on site that day.
