Our Role in Our Community

 

​Since 1956, the HSOP been dedicated to the care and protection of animals in our community.  We rescue and care for animals in distress, reunite lost pets with their owners, find loving permanent homes for homeless animals, educate people on how to properly care for and respect animals, and enforce licensing and other animal ordinances.

 

On average, more than 3,300 animals pass through the HSOP's doors annually: lost, injured, rescued, neglected, abandoned and surrendered pets alike.  Thanks to the support and efforts of many, we are able to make a considerable difference in the lives of those who cannot speak for themselves, the unwanted and homeless pets of our community.

 

While our State laws regarding pet treatment and care are outdated and lacking in guidance and regulation, they still are designed to maintain harmony and promote responsible pet ownership in the community.  In enforcing the ordinances, our Humane Officers maintain an attitude of educating pet owners when possible to help them comply with the law.  Our Humane Officers conduct hundreds of welfare investigations each year, and when we find animals suffering from neglect or cruelty, we are not hesitant to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.  In addition to responding to the public's animal related complaints and animal ordinance violations, Officers pick up dogs running at large in our county that are unlicensed as well as vicious and injured stray animals on a 24 X 7 basis.

 

The HSOP serves the community by providing a place for the public to surrender an animal that they no longer want or can keep.   The reasons for surrendering a pet vary, but without a shelter, many animals would be abandoned to fend for themselves. And sadly each year we received hundreds of puppies and kittens who have been abandoned or dumped to fend for themselves already. 

 

Finding loving homes for unwanted animals is a huge focus of our mission and we strive to do so through local adoptions as well as working with rescue organizations to place animals in areas outside of our region where animal overpopulation is under control.  However, our goal is not to simply find the homeless homes.  We must find responsible and loving forever homes for these animals.  Our adoption process, considered rigorous by some, is intended to assist us in finding the right pet for the adopter's lifestyle so that adoptions last forever and animals are not returned to our shelter or dumped because they "just didn't work out".

 

Last and certainly not least, we also promote the benefits of spay and neuter by providing low-cost spay/neuter services through our SPOT Clinic, which is focused primarily on making spay/neuter more available and more affordable. We provide low-cost spay/neuter services to the public as well as other humane organizations and rescues.  We offer periodic vaccination clinics to encourage pet owners to take preventative measures for their pets.  We also try to help those who may be struggling to care for their pets through our food bank and by providing financially assisted services when targeted grants and funding sources are available. 

 

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Our Board of Directors

 

President:  Karen Katchur

Vice President: Sandy Swisher

2nd Vice President: Loretta Nester

Secretary:  Erica Bailey

Treasurer: vacant

 

Members:

Lauren Estep

Amy Heldman

Mary Hetrick-Ratliffe

Jeannine Hetrick-Ratliffe

Debbie Hines

Lee Rector

Jeremiah (JC) Rutter

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