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12:40pm

Why the HSMC needs or deserves the Makeover

I was asked yesterday why I have not done a jounral telling why the Humane Society of Madison County should win the makeover. To be honest, I know I have journaled some stuff. I did one called "Would love to have that!!!" and one called "the meaning of Makeover", but not one direct journal on why we should win.

I thought about it all day yesterday, last night, this morning and I asked myself "why have I not done that." I am not sure why I have not done the journal explaining why the HSMC should win. Not sure if I think folks will think I am begging, pleading, or what. Not sure really how to put into words "why the HSMC should win." But I have decided, I will do my best in explaining. After all, that is all one can do is their best.

Why, where do I start.Hmmmmmmmmm...........(still thinking here).

Let's start with the obvious and that would be the shelter itself. I am talking about the buildings.

As I stated in my one journal of "Want what you have", our buildings are a cinder block shelter for dogs, with outside kennels also. Max holding 41 large dogs and 18 beagle size dogs. And this is doubling where we can with at least 28 of those dogs in the outside kennels which is only used in nice weather, never in winter. We can house 20 healthy cats and 12 sick. That is all. No more. We do have the prison program where there are up to 40 dogs and they can take the kittens under 2 pounds.

We have the employee break room/meet and greet room/adoption finalize room/all in one room.

Our medical room also has the sick cats in there.

We have trailers which one is still being worked on to be able to move the sick cats to it and also the a bigger medical area with one day doing spay/neuters in there.

Sheds and storage units are being used.

So as you can see, nothing is in the same building. And no matter the weather, if you want to see the dogs, you go to the shelter, want to get in a room to view and spent time with the dog, go back out into the rain to the trailer's meeting/greet room. Oh and if more than one family wants to do that, take a number. That room is not big enough.

So yes, a new building would be great. We could use a makeover so the shelter can help and hold more public and also more animals.

However, our organization believes that "a shelter as in a building, does not make a good or great organization". It is the programs and procedures that makes it great. It is the volunteers, employees, board, and community that makes it great. And with those, I think the HSMC would score high.

We do 100% spay/neuter. We drive one hour one way to a low cost clinic. We take up to 10 dogs and 10 or more cats, half male, half female. They get done what they can and the ones not done will go back up the next week. We alter puppies at 2 months and kittens at 2 pounds. We then drive one hour back. We believe, all shelters/rescues need to be doing 100% spay/neuter before placement. No exception.

We have the prison program. It is an amazing program. I did a journal all about this program, so check it out. The prison program helps us pair up the right dog with the right family. It is a total win-win for the inmates, the dogs, the HSMC.

We work with over 100 approved rescues/shelters in Ohio, other states and into Canada. Why, you might ask. Networking helps in getting animals good homes. We all need to work together to help the animals. We have even taken dogs from other rescues and shelters because the dog might be an amazing dog, but needs some basic training. We take it in and place in the prison program. We also have it so if somebody pulls a dog from us and it does not work out, we take it back. No problem. Networking is a must to help animals.

We have what is called our Shiba/Noelle fund. This is a fund set aside to help special medical needs cases at the shelter. These would be for animals with broken legs, need eye surgery, heartworm treatment, and more. This is the only thing the Shiba/Noelle fund is used for.

We have several wonderful vets who will also help us with those special medical needs at a discount to the HSMC. What a wonderful relationship. You need that when you are a shelter. And the vet office might get a few new clients because of it. Again, networking helps the animals.

We have the first in Ohio, a Dog Warden who is also a Deputy Sheriff. He can enforce any of the Ohio laws. This is more than just amazing. It was a Godsend as before, folks in our county did not always do right by the animals. Now they know they have to or face possible jail time. The Dog Warden and the HSMC has a great working relationship. After all, we are all in it to help the animals.

Our community has stepped up in the past several years to help out when and where they can. Donations are up.

We have several devoted volunteers. They are willing to help when and where they can.

We have wonderful employees who are under paid, and do the job of more than one person. They are the backbone of the care and work at the shelter.

The HSMC Board is very understand and is dedicated to helping not only our shelter, but other shelters, rescues, and organizations. It can not always be a "me, me, us, us". It has to be a "we, we" as in "we all will work together to help the animals. We can do this together. Remember Networking really does work.

As for me personally, I have been the shelter director since Nov. 2000. I don't take any pay for what I do. I do it to help the animals.

And if you are helping any shelter any where be it on the board, as a volunteer, as a supporter, you are doing it because you want to help the animals.

So Why does the HSMC needs or deserves this Makeover. I believe it is so we can show the country that by working together in several areas and with several programs, we can help the animals even more. Networking really does work. We would love to be the "jumpstart" or "where it all begins" with a bigger, better shelter.

Not sure if this really explains "why the HSMC needs or deserves the Makeover". After all, it is sometimes hard to write what your heart feels.