Meet Humane Society’s New Executive Director aws Humane Society is pleased to announce P the appointment of Courtney Pierce as the organization’s Executive Director Pierce began her journey in animal services in March 2003 when she joined the Muscogee County Humane Society as the Intake Manager. In 2007, she teamed up with Paws of Columbus as
and work alongside our amazing staff to serve our community and do what we can to make it a better place for our companion animals.” Paws Humane Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to enrich the lives of both animals and people as a solutionbased community resource for animal welfare by providing high-volume and high quality spay/ neuter, rescue and adoption services, volunteer opportunities, outreach, and education. Paws Humane Society’s vision is to be the regional leader for animal welfare in adoption, spay/neuter, outreach and education to ultimately create a No-Kill Community. Paws Humane Society is supported by private contributions from the citizens of our community. Your donation helps our shelter continue its mission of giving animals a second chance at finding their forever homes. The importance of adoption. Be a hero, change a life! Your home and love will provide an animal the chance to succeed in living their wonderful new life as your new best friend. Without a doubt, when you rescue a dog, puppy, cat or kitten, it will put an instant smile on your face and you gain the perfect companion! If you are interested in adoption visit, www.pawshumane.org. Mark your calendars: our sixth annual Barks & Blues Music Festival is scheduled for October 15th. This year’s event will be held on the banks of the Chattahoochee River at the beautiful Woodruff Park in Columbus, Georgia. The festivities will be from 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM, with arts and craft vendors, food trucks, a kid’s zone and great music! For more information on how you can become a vendor or sponsor of the Barks & Blues Music Festival visit, www.barksandblues.com. We hope to see you there. Executive Director Courtney Pierce
Executive Director Courtney Pierce
the Adoption Counselor and Intake Coordinator, where she served for two years until the merger of Paws of Columbus and Muscogee County Humane Society, forming what now is Paws Humane Society, where she easily transitioned into the role of Intake Manager. Pierce became an Animal Control Officer for Columbus Animal Care and Control from 2014 to 2015 before joining the nationally recognized Best Friends Animal Society as the Community Cat Coordinator. In 2017, Pierce teamed back up with Paws Humane as the Director of Admissions and Adoptions. Fast-forward five years, she is now Paws Humane’s Executive Director. With 19 years of animal service experience and advanced dog training from the Animal Behavior Institute, she is an invaluable asset to Paws Humane as well as the animal service community in Columbus, Georgia and the Chattahoochee Valley. Pierce has built lasting relationships not only with the community, but with the staff at Paws Humane as well. “I have always been really passionate about not only animals, but our community here in Columbus,” she said. “I am super excited to step into this new role LocaL
4900 Milgen Road Columbus pawshumane.org office@pawshumane.org (706) 565-0035 • Vet Clinic (706) 987-8380
Humane Society 4
By Natalie Downey
S
From Church Director to CANNABIS QUEEN
he looks like a friendly neighborhood soccer mom, but Debbie Spear’s mission to help Columbus with CBD makes her anything but ordinary.
Owner, Debbie Spear
After serving nearly 20 years in education and ministry, Debbie read a blog post that would change her life. The post, which was about the benefits of CBD, intrigued her immediately, since her husband Eddie had been dealing with chronic pain. A natural, alternative way to deal seemed like a good thing, and she began learning more about CBD and the cannabis plant in general. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a legal compound derived from the cannabis plant which has been found to have a multitude of benefits. From helping with anxiety, sleeplessness, and depression, to offering pain relief without the risk of addiction, CBD is a substance with endless potential. As science continues to better understand it , new benefits are identified, and its specific properties are isolated to help with specific concerns. The human body contains an endocannabinoid system, designed to receive and interact with the compounds of the cannabis plant. “There is this compound, and our bodies are primed to receive it,” she explains in fascination. “It’s a God-given compound for a God-given system.” It wasn’t long before Debbie’s fascination with CBD turned into a desire to share this wonder chemical with her community. “I knew it was a leap, but I felt so strongly about it that I was going to do it one way or another.” When dealing with a substance that can be controversial, often due to people’s lack of accurate information about it, one of the biggest barriers can be getting people to have an open mind. Debbie was faced with several rejections when looking for a location to launch her idea of a local CBD APR I L-MAY 2022
