On December 1, 2018, the Humane Society of Scott County opened its doors to the public in their new home. Their new building is located at 1176 N Gardner Street, a location that used to house an appliance store. The Humane Society of Scott County has been in existence since 2007 and was housed off of Boatman Road for the last nine years due to the generosity of a local business. The building was recently sold, so the organization had to relocate.
The Humane Society is run by Melanie Foster, and Sue Rose oversees the cat division of the organization.
“We have about approximately 25 cats,” said Rose.
And Foster added, “And probably around 20 dogs.”
The dogs at the Humane Society are all with foster homes, while the cats all stay at the adoption center in the cat division since they thrive in a more social environment with other felines.
“Our dogs work with foster homes, so we’re always looking for new homes to foster dogs,” said Foster. “Dogs are much better suited in a home environment where they can work on training, and be more comfortable in that environment for when they are adopted out.”
The Humane Society is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, that is run solely by volunteers. They have an assertive spay and neuter program to help decrease the number of euthanized animals in the county.
“We offer low cost spay and neuter vouchers through St. Clair’s Veterinary Clinic,” said Foster. “We also work with SNSI (Spay-Neuter Services of Indiana).”
Rose added, “We promote responsible pet ownership by getting your animals spayed or neutered, and we will help you follow through.”
The Humane Society also works with the youth of Scott County and often visits schools to teach kids about the importance of responsible pet ownership.
In addition to providing education about pet ownership to the community, the Humane Society of Scott County is also offering dog obedience classes. In the future, they will offer a spot for dog washing as a community service.
“You can bring in your dog and wash it,” said Foster. “The Humane Society will provide the tub, shampoo, towels, and other items needed. Volunteers will also be there to provide help if needed.”
The new location has helped the exposure of the Humane Society tremendously. They are now receiving more donations, and volunteers signing up.
“We’re up about 8 volunteers since moving to the new location,” said Foster. “We are also seeing more walk-in traffic and general interest in our mission. There are so many pet lovers in this community.”
The new location also features an outdoor fenced-in area that serves multiple purposes. While it serves as an outdoor area for the animals, it also works as a meeting place for the transport list. Transport vans can pick up and drop off here from other local shelters.
The Humane Society is always looking for more volunteers, and anyone can drop off donations. Donations needed include newspapers, cat litter, cat and kitten food, dog and puppy food, bleach, paper towels, copy paper, towels, and anything else an animal might need.
Another way to help out the Humane Society is to participate in their annual fundraisers. Each year they organize a golf scramble, two garage sales in the spring and fall, two road-blocks at the main stoplight on SR 56, and numerous bake sales. There are plenty of ways the community can help out this non-profit organization.
If you would like to help out the Humane Society of Scott County, or volunteer for services, you can call (812) 752-7500 or visit their website: www.hsscouttcountyin.com.
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