New humane society forming in Coshocton
COSHOCTON – A group of community members passionate about the ethical treatment of animals joined forces to create a new humane society.
The Coshocton County Humane Society was officially incorporated on Feb. 9 and currently has a board of 11. Currently serving are: Chair John Piper, Vice Chair Mike Holmes, Treasurer Jake VanSickle, Secretary Courtney Timmons, Executive Director Rachael Selders, Director Vicky Piper, Director Carly Thompson, Pat and Ron Phillips, Shelley Wassam and April Holmes.
“We want to be completely transparent and open to the public,” Selders said. “We want to keep everyone in the loop and let them know where their money is going because we are going to need the community’s help.”
The organization’s mission is to promote responsible pet ownership through education, controlling the pet population through spay and neuter initiatives, confronting animal cruelty and providing respite for abused animals.
“Every animal in our care gets vetted right away and will be spayed or neutered before they are adopted,” said John.
Currently they have cats and kittens available for adoption that are housed at Tractor Supply, but have no dogs in their care at this time.
“We are looking for dependable foster homes for dogs,” Selders said.
Those interested in fostering will have to fill out an application.
“We have to be cautious with dogs because we really won’t know much about them,” Selders said. “We will try to get as much information as we can though since we will only be taking (Coshocton County) owner surrenders.”
Their ultimate goal is to have a building where they can house pets that can be made available for adoption. They also want to help educate pet owners about proper care for their animals, diseases and other issues.
“We are working closely with local vets,” Selders said. “We have a lot to learn and they have a lot to offer.”
The group is working on fundraising efforts to help cover the cost of medical care for animals under their care and to put toward building funds. Selders said it can cost $200 to $300 per cat to get them properly vetted before they can be adopted.
“People are welcome to sponsor a cat or kitty to get them vetted,” Selders said.
All donations will be tax deductible as the group has filed to become a nonprofit.
More board members and volunteers also are being sought.
“We have people on the board who are willing to step down if someone more skilled came along that we could really benefit from,” John said.
As for volunteers, Mike said they will take as many as they can.
“We realize the people of Coshocton County are our biggest asset,” he said.
Upcoming events planned for the Coshocton County Humane Society include a Pink Zebra fundraiser from March 15-29; a bake sale from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 18 at Tractor Supply; and a meet and greet from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 25 at Tractor Supply.
“We are doing this because we want to be a voice for animals,” Mike said.
Selders agreed with him.
“Animals don’t have a voice, but we do,” she said.
For more on the Coshocton County Humane Society, call 740-575-5829, visit coshoctoncohumanesociety.org, or look them up on Facebook.
Category: People & Places
