Last night, the Wythe County Humane Society received a call concerning 4 very emaciated young dogs that had been set out.  These dogs were brought to me to foster last night.  They have been so hungry that they have been eating someone’s bird seed!  I feel so sorry for these guys.  They are all beautiful dogs, they appear to be part Sheltie and maybe Lab.  A couple are small like a Sheltie and a couple are a little larger.  All 4 of these dogs are very adoptable dogs and very sweet.  They definitely deserve a chance at a better life.  At this time I have no kennel to put them in and desperately need a donation of a kennel so that these dogs won’t have to be kept in crates any longer than necessary.  Anyone that can donate a kennel or make a monetary donation toward one, please let me know.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Please help if you can. 

Thank you!
Pam Henley
Wythe County Humane Society

It should be noted that you took in animals that you are requesting donations to care for because from your request it would be assumed that you cannot financially afford to care for them yourself. You should be ashamed of yourself! If you can’t care for them and are pushed to asking for donations from strangers, YOU shouldn’t have the animals in your care. They should be with a foster family who CAN afford to properly care for them without asking for donations of money or supplies. Otherwise they are in no better care or condition then the starvation or abuse or neglect home that they originally came from, as your home is no better! If you need supplies to care for the animals that you voluntarily took in from a rescue or foster situation, spend some of your own money and buy them yourself! There is no such thing as a free lunch, and begging for donations is degrading and ridiculous. You shouldn’t volunteer to do the work if you don’t have the supplies or financial means to provide the supplies necessary to make the dogs comfortable while in your care. Additionally, why did the humane society choose to foster with someone who was knowingly keeping the dogs in crates for long periods of time? Should you not already had either a large kennel or an appropriate fenced in yard or enclosure before you were approved as a foster home?! Especially for four medium to large breed dogs that would require a LOT of exercise! Any REPUTABLE shelter or rescue organization would investigate the home that they were entrusting their fosters with. Additionally, you signed your post as if you were a member or representative of of the wythe county humane society, and if this is the case then you should be even more ashamed of yourself then if you were just a random foster! It is well known that the humane society gets donations daily, from both personal private donors and public and private organizations, that most of their veterinary care is free or at cost, and that they get financial and care items donations regularly. To solicit more for personal gain is greedy and terrible! Maybe YOU need to be investigated for cruelty! Thanks for giving your full name and organization information, I believe i will take the liberty of filing a complaint with the national organizations and get you and you’re organization investigated. Just because a group is a humane society doesn’t mean that they do not have to care for the animals entrusted in their care, and it’s ridiculous to assume that you or your ‘group’ are above the laws that everyone else has to live by.

pchenley - 06 November 2009 10:36 AM

Last night, the Wythe County Humane Society received a call concerning 4 very emaciated young dogs that had been set out.  These dogs were brought to me to foster last night.  They have been so hungry that they have been eating someone’s bird seed!  I feel so sorry for these guys.  They are all beautiful dogs, they appear to be part Sheltie and maybe Lab.  A couple are small like a Sheltie and a couple are a little larger.  All 4 of these dogs are very adoptable dogs and very sweet.  They definitely deserve a chance at a better life.  At this time I have no kennel to put them in and desperately need a donation of a kennel so that these dogs won’t have to be kept in crates any longer than necessary.  Anyone that can donate a kennel or make a monetary donation toward one, please let me know.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Please help if you can. 

Thank you!
Pam Henley
Wythe County Humane Society

AMEN

I am so sorry that you feel such malice towared me and the Wythe County Humane Society.  I do want to correct you on several points.  I’m not sure where you got your information, but many of the things you believe and said are untrue….

1.  These animals were taken under an emergency situation.  They were starving and had resorted to eating someone’s birdseed!  These dogs were kept overnight only in the crates.  They were in a kennel donated by a wonderful caring lady with a big heart by the next night.  I spend time with the animals that I foster.  Each day I go into each kennel and spend time giving each animal attention and love.  I am usually with my kennel dogs several hours each day. 

2.  The Wythe County Humane Society can only function with the donations of wonderful people in our communty and with money earned through fundraisers which we are not able to do enough of because of the amount of tine that it takes to take care of the animals.  We are a non profit organization and at the present are not having enough donations to come in to cover expenses.  We do NOT have donatations coming in daily.  At the present time, we are lucky to get a donation weekly.  When there is not enough coming in, we do use money in many cases from our own pockets to cover the needs of these animals.  I welcome anyone to come and inspect my kennels and the condition of my foster animals. 

3.  These dogs were never meant to remain in the crates for “long periods” and never were.  They were gotten out and walked regularly and were allowed to be free on my fenced porch for play time.  Please don’t assume these animals were just left in those crates as they were not.

4.  The Wythe County Humane Society definitely does NOT get free vet care from any of the area vets.  We pay thousands of dollars to Communty Animal Clinic and Wythe County Animal Clinic each year.  Feel free to check with them.  We could not pay these vet bills if it were not for donated money.  This is the standard way that most Humane Societies operate.  I just happen to be a member who also fosters as we are a “Shelterless Humane Society”.  We have no choice but to foster these animals.

5.  We cannot place these animals with other fosters, because we do not have many people willing to foster.  Would you like to foster?  Fosters cannot be expected to pay for all expenses of taking care of these animals.  That would be a huge undertaking.  We would have no one able to foster, if that were the case. 

6.  I feel no shame in asking to donations from the community.  Not only are we helping these animals, but we are providing a service for the communty.  We are helping get homeless animals off the streets and preventing even more unwanted litters.  These animals deserve a chance at a better life and that is the ultimate goal for any animal we take in.  Some fo the animals that we take in are tranferred to North Shore Animal League or to other breed specific rescues to give them the best possible chance at being placed into a good loving home.  In some cases these transfers alone cost us $200-$300 just for health certificates and fuel for transports. 

The Wythe County Humane Society will continue to to function to help as many as we can and to help spay and neuter as many as possible.  There is a desperated need in Wythe and Bland Counties for our help.  We still have many of waiting lists.  Currently the pound is shut down for maintenance.  Many of their calls are being referred to us.  It is not unreasonable to ask for donations to help with the care of these animals if we are willing to do the work involved in caring for them.  If you would like to help foster some of these animals, please let me know.  I’m sure we could work something out if your application is approved.

*Special Note:  The 4 dogs are now doing great.  They are already putting on weight.  They are currently being feed puppy chow mixed with canned food to give them as much nutrition as possible.  Whey they first came, they seemed to be too scared to allow humane contact.  They are now coming to me and jumping up for petting and love.  They have already come a long way and will soon be ready for adoption.

Sincerly
Pamela Henley
Wythe County Humane Society

Sounds to me like you’re doing the best you can with the resources you have, and only look to the compassion of others for help. Keep fighting the good fight P.H.

ritepath - 09 November 2009 04:58 PM

Sounds to me like you’re doing the best you can with the resources you have, and only look to the compassion of others for help. Keep fighting the good fight P.H.

Thank you for your kind words.  I needed that today.  Doing the work for these animals is a big undertaking that very few want to do.  It seems that we have so many that are ready to critisize but so few that actually want to help make a difference in the lives of these animals.  If it were not for those that donate their money and time, we could not continue to do the work that we do.  These animals depend on the donations that we receive.  NONE of what we take in is ever pocketed by us.  It all goes toward the care of these animals.

Thanks again for your kindness.

Pam Henley