By Steve Pendleton
Effective April 2nd, the Humane Society of Hardy County (HSHC) has a new phone number and email address exclusively for spay and neuter applications. Anyone wishing to receive an application may call 681-271-4225 or send an email to hshcsan1@gmail.com.
HSHC has been awarded a grant of $10,000 by the West Virginia Spay and Neuter Program through the State Department of Agriculture. The grant is retroactive to January 1st. This is the second year that the organization has been funded by the program. Since May 2024, over 170 cats in Hardy and Grant Counties have been sterilized through HSHC.
The town of Moorefield recently contributed $5,000 to the Humane Society for feral cats within city limits to be spayed and neutered. This is especially helpful for those who cannot afford to pay for the procedure on their own. Residents within town limits can reach HSHC via the provided phone number or email address. We are very grateful to the town for the generous gift.
HSHC is still looking for a building to purchase for use as an animal shelter. Some funding is in place while we plan to reach out to local resources and foundations. A building with concrete floors, with at least 3,000 square feet of space is needed. We also plan to run a TNR (trap, neuter, release) program which involves trapping feral cats, having them sterilized, then returned to their original habitat. Before this program begins, a space must be in place to house cats between the time of being captured and going to the veterinarian. A building with utilities in the range of 1200 to 1500 square feet will provide the space needed. If anyone owns a building that might serve as an animal shelter or temporary TNR facility and has an interest in selling, please call 304-490-9675 or send an email to hshcwv24@gmail.com.
HSHC will soon have two billboards in the Moorefield area. One billboard will advertise the need to spay and neuter animals. The second board reaches out to the public to apply as a foster parent for cats and dogs needing temporary placement. The first billboard is being funded by the Hardy County Community Foundation. Foster parents are a crucial need. HSHC frequently receives calls from people who need to rehome a pet or help to place feral cats. Recently, a member of the program kept 14 cats in three cages in their living room for two nights. It was a stressful experience for the cats and him not to mention the cats already living there. Applicants will be evaluated to assure their ability to care for the animals in their home. Training is provided as well as a stipend to buy food and litter. Any required veterinary care will be paid for by HSHC. If you are interested in being a foster parent, please call 304-490-9675 or send an email to hshcwv24@gmail.com.
After eight months of discussion, planning, and proposals, the Humane Society’s offer to provide funding and volunteers for the Hardy County Dog Pound has been turned down
by the County Commission. HSHC offered $50,000, which was donated by a program member, to be dedicated to pound improvements. The amount of $22,000 would have helped to pay for $46,000 in construction updates including a new roof, concreted outside area with a canopy, and the addition of one room to the building among other things. The remaining funds would have paid for a heating system (which has been installed), air conditioning, raised beds made of iron, and a microchip reader. Some of the funding received through the Spay and Neuter Program would have been used for the dogs to be examined by a veterinarian, including sterilization (if needed) and vaccinations. Over the past two months, HSHC recruited several volunteers to exercise the dogs at the pound and clean cages on a daily basis. A draft of a Memorandum of Understanding between HSHC and the County Commission was presented at the Commission meeting on March 4th with details of volunteer duties as well as HSHC responsibilities and those of the County. The County Commission indicated that insurance coverage was in place on their end. HSHC agreed to secure insurance for volunteers as well. Volunteers agreed to sign a release of liability.
On April 2nd, HSHC received a letter from the County Commission stating that it would not enter into an agreement with HSHC for volunteers to spend time at the dog pound.
“We have engaged in legal counsel to review the proposed agreement with the HSHC regarding recruitment, training, and placing volunteers to assist with our Dog Pound. While this is noteworthy offering the additional insurance costs and management costs that would be required would require more resources than we can commit to at this time. We will not be moving forward with the proposal at this time.”
A decision regarding the $50,000 donation was also addressed. “We have just completed our budgetary process for the FY 2025-26. While our growth has yielded an increase in the revenues it is not as much as we would like to have to address our many needs.”
“In the past year, through your organizations dedicated efforts, a generous individual came forward to offer a financial gift to help the county improve the physical facility of the Dog Pound. We appreciate her philanthropic gesture and her love of animals that prompted her offer. At this time, we believe her gift could be better used to support the efforts of your organization in spay and neuter assistance, vaccinations programs, fostering and care to ease the burden of many other animals in our community. Therefore, we will not be accepting her most generous offer.”
