3 months ago
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The Humane Society of the Greater River Valley has been a hero to stray animals but now, owners are low on funds and manpower struggling to keep the place open.
The 14-acre property just south of Hector, on Highway 105, is home to the surrounding county's blind, crippled and homeless animals. Gerry Laswell and Janet Plant have gladly taken them all in and would rather not think about the alternative option if they hadn't.
"We have three-legged animals out here because they have been mutilated by people," Plant explained.
The two have been taking in stray animals for years now.
"What it takes to do it, it's practically a super-human effort" Laswell said.
Laswell recently became ill and Plant had to take over the whole project, sometimes volunteers visit the property to lend a hand.
There are about 140 animals on the property and each day it takes nearly 300 pouds of food to feed them. Add that to vet bills and other site maintenance, and the cost to keep helping the animals is becoming too much for the shelter owners. Plant is now draining her retirement funds to keep the dogs fed.
"She's an amazing woman. She's out here seven days a week, eight to ten hours everyday," Laswell said of Plant.
The need for more money, supplies and just simple man power couldn't have been any clearer on Saturday. Volunteers cleaned the grounds, put up fences and fed the animals.
Plant says there's more that still needs to be done.
"The whole area will be fenced in. That's what we're doing right now to contain them," she said.
But even with all the problems, the animals look happy just to have a chance at life. The shelter owners say struggles or not, they'll keep doing everything they can to keep the shelter open.
"Show them, that they can survive just like people. I mean, they are what we make them," said Plant.
Laswell, who hasn't been able to visit the shelter often because of his illness, adds "it's hard to leave."
The shelter needs pet food, maintenance supplies, volunteers and any other kind of help.
For more information, call
(479) 495-0603
(479) 284-2222
k9hospicecorp@yahoo.com
