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Message from the Columbiana County Humane Society Board

To the editor:

Dear friends of the Columbiana County Humane Society, the Board is moving beyond the misconceptions circulated recently on social media, and we are determined to develop a better plan for the animals of the county based not only on years of experience, but national standards and advice from successful shelter leaders.

Back in July, we were in a position of depleted funds caused by mounting vet bills, overcrowded conditions that caused increased labor costs and overwhelming maintenance repairs to the facility. At that time, the Board made the hard decision to immediately halt intakes, so that we could focus efforts on adoptions to reduce the shelter population, and reduce costs in order to allow us to plan and restructure for a more sustainable organization and facility to meet the needs of the community.

Our priorities since July have not changed. We remain committed to finding adoptive homes for our remaining animals. We are remaining true to our mission, and are in the process of making sure our facility and budget can provide the best possible care for the neglected and abused animals of Columbiana County. Our current organizational plan is to build community membership and begin work on fundraising and donor development, facility renovations, and new building/capital campaign development.

The board has determined that the current facility can be renovated to comply with the Guidelines for Standards of Care in Animal Shelters (Association of Shelter Veterinarians) for cat isolation and general population rooms, but does not have adequate space for proper dog and puppy isolation areas to meet quarantine and infection control requirements. Once the shelter is renovated to adequately house cats, in the next phase, the board will explore options for a facility adequate to meet the needs of dog accommodations, as well as other animal species.

In order to reach our goals, the board has developed a PERT Plan (Program Evaluation Review Technique) of items that need completed before we can resume intakes, including fundraising to establish six months worth of operating expenses, cat isolation room and general population rooms renovated, and establish a capital campaign. We have begun to establish larger fundraising efforts, such as our weekly Bingo at Quaker Hall on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. This, along with the generous community donations, and other large fundraising events, will help CCHS to establish a sustainable budget to resume humane investigations and animal intakes.

To volunteer to help with fundraising and facility renovations, please fill out a volunteer application online at https://www.columbianacountyhumanesociety.com/volunteer/ and call 234-575-7177 to leave a message. We will get back to you within 24 hours.

We thank you for your past and present support as we plan for a more sustainable future to better serve the needs of the abused and neglected animals in Columbiana County. We are a 501(c)3 charity, and do not receive any government funding for our life-saving work.

COLUMBIANA COUNTY HUNANE SOCIETY BOARD,

1825 S. Lincoln Ave., Salem

Starting at $2.99/week.

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