HINTON W.Va. (Hinton News) – Snowy, icy cold weekends haven’t put the skids on Summers County Humane Society volunteers navigating the interstates to transport dogs to rescues in northern states. During the coldest and snowiest January in 10 years, the local humane society volunteers have been shuttling dogs from Hinton through snow and icy cold temperatures every other weekend to new furever homes and adoption opportunities through other rescue organizations several states away.
Volunteer drivers from Summers County have transported as many as 11 dogs at a time this month. Dogs who’ve been in the care of the sheriff’s temporary kennel facility, and those who’ve lived in volunteer foster homes all nurtured, assessed, spayed or neutered, and up to date on all vaccinations prior to departure. These local volunteers meet other volunteers along the way who continue their transport to other states where applicants are more eager to adopt them.
Despite ongoing pleas to spay and neuter, dogs continue to need homes. Keeping the dogs warm and safe has been challenging, and humane society volunteers have somehow kept pace. Eager to help the dogs find love and care in safe, responsible and loving homes, this volunteer effort has continued throughout weeks of inclement weather.
“With temperatures in single digits, we are dedicated to moving the dogs held in the county kennels as quickly as possible,” according to humane society board Secretary Christina Cochran. Cochran recruits the drivers within the SCHS (Animal Control and Welfare Project, Inc.). “Please join me in thanking the volunteers! And, please, spay and neuter your pets!”
The humane society recognizes spay and neuter appointments can be a challenge to both schedule and fund, but grant money isn’t available for vouchers until March. With too few veterinarians available to handle the need and demand for the procedures, Cochran recommends dog and cat owners try to schedule appointments, on their own, with veterinarians of your choice in the area. Some veterinarians are now requiring that you and your pet be a client before vouchers are accepted as payment. The new Furever Fixed, Inc. low cost spay and neuter clinic in Mercer County is also now open to schedule appointments for pet owners, but, again, no vouchers are available at this time. Please schedule your appointments as soon as you possibly can.
Humane Society board member Gayle Rancer has been in consultation with the Federation of Humane Organizations (FOHO) in West Virginia to promote advocacy in the county to persuade legislators to strike a sunset clause that could interrupt or derail spay and neuter assistance funds. “This is a serious concern,” according to Rancer, who says “Our state representatives and senators need to hear from you to extend funding.”
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture’s spay and neuter assistance program, WVSNP, is funded by fees paid by dog food companies selling pet food in West Virginia. It is not a tax funded program. Rancer says half of the spay and neuter assistance budget, of nearly a million dollars, is funded in part from fees on pet food sales and the other half from a private foundation.
FOHO President Theresa Bruner says the funding is set to expire in 2027.
“To keep this vital funding in force”, she says, “bills are being introduced in the state legislature to strike or eliminate the sunset clause in the present funding bill to allow it to continue. Fees on pet food sales in West Virginia provide $450,000.00 from fees on the nearly $150,000,000.00 in pet food sales this past year and are matched by a private donor.” Through this program funding has helped spay 84,000 dogs and cats since 2018 when WVSNP was established. Rancer says, “It’s a wonderful program, providing spay and neuter assistance for 84 organizations in 2024.”
Summers County is among 54 West Virginia counties benefitting from the WVSPN funding. If you feel spay and neuter funding is critical, please visit the Federation of Humane Organizations in West Virginia at fohowv.org to learn how you can impact the future of spay/neuter assistance funding. March 25 is Spay Neuter Awareness Day at the State Capitol in Charleston. FOHO is asking members of the public to support proposed legislation to remove the sunset provision from WV Code providing funding for WVSNP spay and neuter funding assistance. Support for the legislation can be communicated to West Virginia members of the House and Senate via phone, letters and email.
