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Shelter Struggle: Society
faces funding crisis
Published Saturday, July 18
By L.A. Story
Staff Writer
The local animal shelter's future is a grim one according to Corinth/Alcorn County Humane Society's animal shelter manager Keith Mays.
Mays asked for help as he presented some enlightening, but discouraging, figures during a presentation Thursday at the Corinth Rotary Club.
"The shelter is in dire straits," said Mays. "If we don't get help, we may not exist much longer."
According to Mays, in March the shelter had 220 animals, took in 197, adopted out only 36 and had to euthanize 143 at a cost of $2,145. In April, the shelter had 186 animals, took in 150, adopted out 76 and euthanized 124 for a cost of $1,860. In May, the shelter had 164 animals, took in 332, adopted out 65 and euthanized 193 at cost of $2,895.
June and July, Mays noted, were not any better. To date, Mays said the shelter has spent $14,145 to euthanize 943 animals. This money does not include the cost of food or medicines.
The shelter can only hold 200 cats and dogs comfortably and they had 217 at the end of June, Mays noted. Mays said there are several misconceptions about the shelter and one of them is that it is county and city funded. This is not true. According to Mays, the aforementioned entities support the shelter, but it is a private non-profit organization. The money provided by the city and county does not fully fund the shelter.
Another misconception, the manager explained, is that some people seem to feel the shelter is a nice little pet store atmosphere. Shelter workers do what they can to make the animals' lives comfortable as possible, but life in a shelter is not a happy one, Mays pointed out.
Too many people dropping off animals on the side of the road is the main source of the problem. With many areas becoming less rural, Mays noted that only a few animals can hunt, find food and take care of themselves. Puppies, kittens and injured animals cannot survive without help.
Mays was passionate in expressing his feelings about owners who neglect to take responsibility for their animals.
"We would have no stray problem if people would spay and neuter their animals," said Mays. "And, they are not good neighbors - the people who drop off animals on someone else."
The shelter takes in the strays for a minimal cost of $10 each. They give the animals basic medicines, because that is all they can afford, he said. They feed and water the animals and keep them safe, but there are only two ways out of the shelter - adoption or death.
The Corinth/Alcorn County animal shelter is under funded and desperately needs regular donations or the shelter may not exist much longer, Mays said. He went on to encourage all Rotary members present to help with the shelter and to encourage others to help as well.
The animal shelter is located at 3825 Proper Street, in Corinth. For those who would like to find out more ways to help the animal shelter, call 662-284-9787. The shelter's website can be viewed at www.cachs.org.
