Watch the interview on MyPanhandle.com!On August 29th, 2021, we made the news! The full three-minute clip can be view at MyPanhandle.com, and we want to say thank you to everyone who has come forth with support to become a donor, volunteer, or foster since seeing this clip. You are the true heroes to our dogs and cats, and we could never do this work without your help!
There are also parts of the story that didn't make it to the news, and that's what we would like to share today. To start with, you may watch the video and think, "What can I do to help?"
How You Can Help
You make this work possible when you donate, adopt, volunteer, or foster for the St. Joseph Bay Humane Society. Without you, we could never save these innocent lives. There is no donation too small to help. Individually, we may all be like a drop of water, but together, we form a powerful ocean. Donations can be given in-person at our shelter, at events, or online.
We have so many pets in need of good homes right now. If you can open your heart and your home to a cat or dog, come visit us and meet your next best friend. Our adoption specialists are waiting to help you fill out an application. And don't miss out on adopting a cat during our cat adoption special right now: $50 for a single cat or two cats for $75. Cats are much happier when they have a buddy, especially younger ones, and we have plenty of bonded pairs right now in search of families.
Fosters help our dogs stay socialized and enjoy life outside of the shelter environment. Oftentimes, fosters can act as "adoption ambassadors" just by walking the dog along the beach and letting visitors know this dog is available for adoption.
With so many animals in our care currently, we need volunteers to come and walk the dogs, to help with housecleaning at the shelter, and to provide enrichment for the animals. Now more than ever, we are reliant on volunteers to help us get the work done, so please don't hesitate to apply if you think you can help!
A Little More About Us
When they say we are "overcrowded with dogs and cats" what that means is we have received more than 280 dogs and cats this year alone. That is more than 1 animal per day! And note, these animals are only taken from Gulf County. Despite only serving one county, we have taken in 41 animals surrendered by the owners, plus stray animals and animals born into our care. As you know, we are a no-kill shelter with over a 98% live placement rate, meaning we do our absolute best to find homes for our animals, no matter the expense of their medical care.
As a nonprofit, we are completely reliant on donations to keep our doors open, and we also apply for grants and run fundraisers and events to bring in essential funding.
Puppies and kittens are cute, but when unwanted litters are born at record amounts like we're seeing right now, it causes serious problems. This year alone, we've had 3 mamas deliver a total of 28 puppies at our shelter. It has been so difficult to find homes for all of them that three of those puppies are still looking for forever homes. We really need the public to understand the importance of spaying and neutering their pets before these unwanted litters are born. Fixing your pet prevents problems for them (cancer is more common in unaltered pets as they age) and for others.
Did you know? It costs us $172 to get a dog ready for adoption and $130 for a cat. If the dog has heartworms, add in another $450 or more and 4 months of treatment.
You can be the hero to these stray, surrendered, and abandoned animals by doing any of the following: