KINGWOOD — “He is so pretty and nice,” Natasha Collins said about Stanley, the orange-and-white cat she adopted from the Preston County Animal Shelter recently. Stanley was one of the pets on display at Tractor Supply waiting for a forever home.
Patch and Gloria, two kittens, were hoping to find a home for Christmas, as were two half pit bull puppies, Shoo Fly and Pecan.
Preston County Humane Society (PCHS) President Helen Nikirk said the Humane Society recently donated $300 to the shelter to help with the spay and neuter program. Members of the PCHS were available to help interested individuals fill out spay and neuter applications.
PCHS promotes responsible, humane animal care, educates the public about the problem of pet overpopulation, assists qualified applicants with the cost of spaying and neutering, provides emergency pet food, offers limited emergency assistance for sick and injured animals, and sponsors elementary school classroom subscriptions to “Kind News,” a publication that teaches concepts such as compassion, respect and responsibility.
PCHS Spay and Neuter Director Alex Evans said the group worked with seven feral cat colonies this year.
“When we get a call from someone who has a colony, we visit the colony, explain how to trap the cats, what to use as bait and getting things set up with the vet,” she said. “We provide the traps and advice. We can sometimes pay for having the big cats spayed or neutered, have them given flea care and shots.”
According to Dog Warden Cameron Radabaugh, a new program called OOPS, allows county residents to donate puppy litters to the shelter and in exchange, the shelter will pay for the mother dog to be spayed.
From January through June, the shelter has taken in 125 dogs, 28 puppies, 33 cats, 45 kittens, four ducks, and one iguana. It has also taken in 126 strays, 96 owner-relinquished pets, seven seized pets and seven transfers.
For spay and neuter information or to adopt a pet, call 304 329-3461. Adoption days are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. The shelter is closed Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. The times listed above are when the shelter is open to the public. However, there is staff on site at additional times to care for the animals — even holidays.
The Humane Society spay and neuter director can be contacted at 304 329-3644.
To report animal neglect, abuse or cruelty, call the Preston County Sheriff’s Office at 304-329-1611.
