If the shoe fits

Dogs, cats to benefit from shoe donations

Reba sits in a shoe as the Independence County Humane Society gets ready for the shoe drive that will raise money for the group.
Reba sits in a shoe as the Independence County Humane Society gets ready for the shoe drive that will raise money for the group.

The sights and sounds that hit visitors when they walk into the Humane Society of Independence County are what one might expect at a high-volume animal shelter. The building — next to the Independence County Recycling Center — is flanked by fenced-in play areas for the dogs. As cars pull up, curious canines wander up to the fence, checking out whom their new visitors might be.

Inside the building, the kennel area in the back is full, and five or six crates with a dog in each of them sit in the lobby. Most of the dogs are calm as they watch each person who comes in the door, glancing up with the epitome of puppy-dog eyes.

“We’ve got around 100 dogs. They’re all over. If you go to the bathroom here, there are a couple crates with dogs in there,” said Bev Finch, shelter director. “We don’t have many cats right now because it’s not kitten and puppy season. We have about 20 right now, but here in about a month, we’ll have probably closer to 60.”

In 2014, the humane society took in 973 dogs and cats. Every animal that is adopted out of the shelter is spayed or neutered with the aim of reducing future dog and cat populations, but there are still pets in the county that have not been fixed.

It is because of their love for animals that the staff and volunteers at HSIC are so passionate about spaying and neutering animals.

“Our adoption fees don’t cover spays and neuters for our animals, so we go in the hole for each animal we adopt out,” Finch said. “We have vets who work with us, and we make it, but we also want the public to have access to affordable spays and neuters.”

Finch said she hears a lot of reasons for why people do not have their pets spayed or neutered, but one of the main excuses is the cost of the procedure. That is why HSIC is raising money to provide financial assistance to people who need to have their pets fixed.

Now through the week of May 4, the humane society is conducting a shoe-collection drive to raise funds for spay-and-neuter financial assistance. The shoe drive is being conducted through Funds2Orgs, a fundraising organization that pays groups like HSIC for donating gently worn shoes. Funds2Orgs then turns around and supplies the shoes to people in developing nations such as Haiti and Uganda to support micro-enterprises, or small businesses, usually run by families. The micro-entrepreneurs often clean and repair the shoes, then sell them to others in their communities.

Humane Society of Independence County board member Lynn Makarick said she found out about Funds2Orgs through another fundraising opportunity, WoofTrax. Makarick’s sister uses WoofTrax to raise money when she walks her dog. The WoofTrax phone app tracks her walks, then donates money to the shelter of her choice based on how many miles she walked. WoofTrax recently teamed up with Funds2Orgs, expanding the fundraising horizon for people like Makarick.

The shoe-collection drive is facilitated from Bargain Hound Boutique, the thrift store that helps fund HSIC. Bags are available at the store, at 228 Ramsey St. in Batesville, and donors are asked to collect 25 pairs of shoes per bag. HSIC’s goal is to collect 100 bags of shoes, which will earn $1,000 from Funds2Orgs.

“We actually will get paid per pound,” Makarick said. “If you collect 100 bags of flip-flops, you’re not going to get the pounds you need. But if we get a bunch of boots and ice skates, we’ll be great.”

Twenty-five pairs of shoes may sound daunting, but Finch said it would be a great project for families who are spring cleaning, classes and other groups who want to participate.

The humane society provides the only countywide animal shelter for Independence County. Finch said HSIC is a no-kill shelter, meaning the only time an animal is put down is if the animal is dangerous or has serious health problems. Animals are not put down at HSIC because of space issues, and Finch said the staff and volunteers just find creative ways to make it work so they can take care of the animals.

“We don’t give up on the animals,” she said.

For more information on the shoe drive, contact Makarick at (870) 834-4490 or Bargain Hound Boutique at (870) 793-8118.

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