By: T.J. Hug
The Village Reporter
Humane: Having or showing compassion or benevolence.
Such an endearing word touches upon the pinnacle of what mankind strives to be. It even has human hidden plainly in its text.
But does the term apply strictly to humanity?
Not to everyone, at least. All across the United States, several independent Humane Societies serve local populations, focusing primarily on the care and adoption of animals, namely cats and dogs. Williams County’s own Humane Society, in particular, has plenty of compassion and benevolence for both humans and animals.
Established in 1970, on County Road 13 between Montpelier and Bryan, the Williams County Humane Society spent its first thirty-five years just educating area residents on animal care, health, and safety. It was in 2004 that a capital campaign was started to renovate the building, with the intention of turning it into a shelter. The society met their goal, opening to the public in July of 2005.
One hour after they began to take animals in, the society had seen seven dogs and thirty-eight cats surrendered. It quickly became clear that the organizations new services were sorely needed in Williams County.
Today, at any given time, the society will be housing more than thirty dogs and hundreds of cats. Those animals aren’t simply put in cages and forgotten about either. In addition to the care each one receives from both employees and volunteers, children are allowed to interact with the cats. They can even take them into a separate room to pet and cuddle their feline friends.
Of course, adoption is the long term goal for every animal taken in by the society. Aside from processing adoptions during regular hours of operation, the organization also puts on Adopt-a-thons.
During these events, the Humane Society pushes hard to get as many animals adopted as possible.
The Williams County organization does more than simply care for the animals in their charge, however.
Working for the Stryker, Bryan, and West Unity areas, the society is also charged with collecting stray cats reported by the community. The Humane Society is paid a small fee for this service. After checking out the feral wanderers to make sure their health is in order, those cats are also made available to the public for adoption.
Investigating animal cruelty and neglect is also a task in which the Williams County Humane Society assists. The group has two humane officers who work with both local and state law enforcement to ensure the humane treatment of pets within the county. It also cooperates with other government organizations, such as Job and Family Services, The Williams County Probation Department, and local schools and organizations to provide community service hours.
Of course, the Humane Society still does work to educate the community on animal related issues. Every year, it puts on a Paws Camp, with the aim of helping children learn how to interact with dogs. Volunteers teach kids how to approach a dog, as well as how to properly care for one. They also emphasize the importance of spaying/neutering and vaccinating dogs.
The overwhelming majority of the society’s budget comes from donations and fund raising. A major event that both provides the organization with funds and embodies what they’re all about is the annual dog wash they hold during Bean Days. Setting up at Maxton Motors, volunteers clean dogs at reasonable rates in an effort to fund the group’s other activities.
Those wishing to donate, but finding themselves unable to part with cash can still help out the Humane Society. Those who shop at Town and Country would be helping quite a bit if they turn their receipts over to the organization. It gets one-percent back on all receipts sent in.
The society also makes money from recycling. It will accept ink cartridges, toner cartridges, and old cell phones from members of the community. One year, the group earned over $1,100 through this method.
As the Williams County Humane Society receives no government funding, donations are critical to its operation. For everything it does in the community, and all the animals it helps, the society is almost completely dependent upon the compassion and benevolence of those it serves.
A bit ironic, really.
T.J. Hug can be reached at
publisher@thevillagereporter.com