Giving Local Helps Local Shelters Save

Giving Local Helps Local Shelter Save Lives

Maya Richmond - Executive Director Windham County Humane Society

Inflation impacted all our lives. Everything from pet food to heating oil, vaccines, and insurance has soared beyond what annual donations can match, thus prompting charities like ours, WCHS, to ask supporters to give another gift or increase their donation by a few dollars.

For the animals in our community, economic uncertainty and inflation don't just stop at soaring expenses. They also lead to more animals in need. The shelter's voice and email boxes are filled with sightings of stray animals, questions from owners unable to keep their pets, and inquiries about the hours of the Pet Pantry.

For WCHS, 87% of all our annual funding comes from people – not foundations, companies, or municipalities. It is people's donations that keep the shelter ready to aid homeless or injured animals…every day.

Every animal has a story. This holiday season, will your help write the chapter where a homeless animal is made well and finds his/her new loving home?)

Being ready to help takes the help of a lot of caring people. It is people like you that saved Marko, Triumph, Seeker, and Ollie. I invite you to read their stories to get a glimpse into a typical day at the shelter.

Marko

MARKO

Marko hid under the bed while EMTs rushed around his home. When they left, Marko was alone. Days later WCHS's phone rang. In a shaky voice, a man said, “I live in a nursing home. My wife is in the hospital. No one will be home ever again. Please help my dog. Tell him we love him.” Marko was suddenly homeless after 14 years.

The staff gave the aged dog an exam. Volunteers showered him with love. Marko settled in behind the bars of his cage listening to the barks of fellow captives. Then a woman dressed in scrubs walked Winter 2023

in looking to adopt Marko. Marko greeted the woman with a tail wag. There was something familiar that made the old dog excited. The two departed like longlost friends. Marko's former owner was so relieved when he learned his old friend was safe that for a moment the grief of losing his wife of 70 years lifted.

TRIUMPH & SEEKER

These two kittens hid from predators but couldn't escape a nasty infection. Their runny eyes worsened until their corneas ulcerated and their eyes sealed closed. Unable to find food or water, they huddled together waiting out their days under a pile of wood. Then the wood moved. Unsure if they were alive their Hero scooped them up and headed to the shelter.

At the shelter, the team examined them. As fast as their eyes and noses were cleaned, they filled back up. These little kittens required around-the-clock care, antibiotics, and medication to kill the fleas feasting on them. After weeks of care, they improved. Yet their eyes were destroyed. Blind and in pain, the veterinarian made the decision to remove their eyes.

Huddled together and recovering from surgery, they caught the eye of a visitor who previously owned a blind cat and knew that, with some accommodations, these two kittens could live nearly normal happy lives. Today these two survivors remain tightly snuggled together basking in the warmth of a sunny window.

OLLIE

Our hearts hurt for Ollie. A Good Samaritan spotted the puppy and contacted officials to perform a “welfare check”. He was a bundle of skin and bones when he arrived at the shelter. Just weeks old, he was put outside in a defunct rabbit cage. As he grew, malnutrition combined with being constrained caused the bones in his front legs to bend. Everyone on WCHS's small team got working to save Ollie. They treated him for worms, put him on medications, fed him high-quality food, and consulted experts on how to mend his bowed legs. Once he gained strength, he started a routine of exercises and short walks to stretch his leg tendons. His first few steps were agonizing. He didn't want to move. But his “therapist” wouldn't ease up. Ollie now has a family who plays with him every day.

All of us at WCHS want to thank our donors for making it possible to share stories like these. It takes a lot of resources to deliver 365 days of services, treat sick and injured animals, and provide access to low-cost spay/neuter surgery, the Pet

Ollie

Food Pantry, humane education initiatives, and so much more. The “giving

season” is a critical time for WCHS because that is when 40% of all the shelter's donations come in.

When you hug your beloved pet, please think of the animals that don't yet have anyone to care for them. Local charities like ours need your support now more than ever. I ask you to become a friend of Windham County Humane Society.

Every gift - any amount - helps heal a pet in need.