Placencia Humane Society Welcomes Two New Board Members

PHS Welcomes Two New Board Members

By PATRICIA CELENZA PHS Press Officer Placencia Humane Society placibr@btl.net

Bridget Kramer and Kellie Covolik Shuman have given their precious time as vet clinic volunteers and have witnessed first hand the compassion and commitment it takes to serve our community. As board members, they now step up to making the decisions that will keep PHS' mission alive in caring for our community's pets.

Bridget Kramer

Kellie Covolik-Shuman

Bridget and Kellie join current board members: David Kafka (chair), Melanie L Wilcher (vice chair), Kitty Mitchell Burgh, Judy Cox Roberts, and Patricia Celenza.

All board members are volunteers. The Placencia Humane Society began in 1999 in response to the lack of any veterinary care on the Placencia Peninsula. Back then, our goal was simple – to bring in a vet every few months to take care of vaccinations, mange, tick fever, TVT (sexually transmitted venereal tumors) and spays and neuters. Clinics were initially held under raised houses, in tents, vacant buildings – wherever and whenever. We sometimes had no running water, no lighting other than the sun and definitely no equipment. But with the help of the late Dr. Mike DeShield of Animal Medical Centre in Belize City and his wife and primary vet assistant, Miriam DeShield, it worked. More pets received semi-regular veterinary care, more pets were saved from death by tick fever and TVT.

However, more needed to be done to safeguard the health and well being of our community's pets. Regular monthly vet clinics were established and eventually held in Placencia Community Center. A feral cat program began, dramatically reducing the feral population. Rescuing, fostering, adopting of abused and abandoned animals became a core PHS program.

Three years ago, the Seine Bight Outreach Program was seeded with the generous funds raised by musician Kelly McGuire at a benefit concert in the United States of America. PHS clinics are now housed in the pretty purple building on the Lagoon, opposite Los Porticos.

We have come a long way in 19 years, because of the generosity of our financial donors and our volunteers. Thank you for your interest in Placencia Humane Society. We look forward to meeting you and your pets at our monthly vet clinic, the third Saturday in each month.

If you can gift your time or talents to PHS, please call 604-8676 to join our most fantastic team. Interested in financially supporting our diverse pet programs? Please go to www.placenciahumanesociety.org, and click on the PayPal button. Every single penny donated goes to benefit our community's pets. ▪

27 October (Saturday): PHS annual FLEA MART starting at 9 a.m. on the Placencia Village basketball court. Gentlyused items gladly accepted. Please drop of your donations at ReMax Office or Century 21 Office in Placencia.

11 November (Sunday): It's the first ever MAD HATTER TEA PARTY, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Turtle Inn. Ladies, get out your big old fancy hats and bid on some of the most exciting trips, excursions, items, services you could ever lay your eyes on! More details coming up!

1 December (Saturday): It's the first ever ROCKIN' 'ROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE fundraiser at Laru Beya Resort, from 4 to 7 p.m. We are asking you all (individuals, schools, churches, businesses) to create Christmas trees to donate to PHS, and we will auction them off to raise money for our pets. Sounds like a fun way to kick off the holidays!

Stay current with all things PHS by liking us on Facebook or on our website: www.placenciahumanesociety.org. Call us at 604-8676 to speak to a real live person, or email us at info@placenciahumanesociety.org

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