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12:36pm

John, Paula, and Kim, the Henderson Heroes 4/30/08 Visit # 17

It all starts with people like John, Paula, and Kim… but it continues with volunteers and supporters like those from Henderson, Kentucky. The Henderson Humane Society has done a complete turnaround from the challenging conditions the shelter was once in all because of these dedicated individuals.
The Zootoo Crew was picked up from their hotel by Paula and Kim, who were anxious to get the day underway! We were soon greeted by local animal control units who share the shelter with HHS- working side-by-side. There were also plenty of supporters on hand; including a bus full of high school seniors and a local radio DJ playing music. Everyone was ready to celebrate! What a great reception.
I met one very special supporter who told me an amazing story. Her name is Deanna and OMG, she wowed me! She does anything needed to work with the media, including crawling up the stairs in front of a radio station because they didn’t have a handicap access for her wheel chair and she wanted to get the shelter attention. That’s the “never give up” attitude I love to see!
Our partners, The Humane Society of the United States, also had Kentucky State Director, Pam Rogers on-site. She was already a supporter of the shelter and knew a few folks already. She helped us look at policy and procedures that were in place at HHS.
The shelter was on a small plot of land and sadly had no outside dog areas. They were obviously in need of a makeover, as are all the shelters we have seen so far. Picking the most deserving shelter will NOT be an easy task. But, this tour is accomplishing what I have been looking for in bringing communities and shelters together for the greater good… the animals.
And as always, there was a big Zootoo cake. And as always, our crew ate it up! I gotta say, Henderson had something no other shelter has…mouth watering, peanut butter pie! DELISH!
Off to Bowling Green... only 3 shelters left to tour.