Best of the best - Yuma Humane Society

June 27, 7:23 AMArizona Rural Headlines ExaminerTrudy Schuett

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Humane Society of Yuma

While looking around at the AZ blogs this morning to see what’s being discussed, I happened to come across a note at Wild Chihuahuas about an overflow at HSOY & the sweet little dog the author rescued. Which sent me to the HSOY website, which is truly impressive on its own. You can learn a lot there about new laws re: cats & dogs, and the proactive approach by HSOY in helping to aid community awareness on a number of issues.

I can’t say enough about the Yuma Humane Society. If there was an award for the best community service in Yuma County, they’d get it, hands down.

I’m an animal lover who happens to live just far enough out of town to be in the zone where people dump unwanted pets. In the 20+ years I’ve lived here, HSOY has always responded quickly when I call about a stray. The thing you wouldn’t expect is that most of these strays were re-connected with their people. They really do their utmost to see that lost pets are found!

Then, when our aging ½ Lab ½ Dobie, T-Bird was in serious decline due to loss of his lifelong buddy, Schmidt ( ½ Poodle, ½  Dachsund and a former shelter dog) the shelter staff was right there to help. T-Bird was a big dog, trying to hide under a bush in our yard, in 110+ degree heat. We couldn’t move him inside, he couldn’t get there on his own. We decided it was time to end his suffering, as he’d been going downhill quite dramatically for days, and at his age, we couldn’t see much hope for recovery. We called HSOY for help, and as usual they were right there. What’s more, the compassion expressed by the staffer that came to our house was a big help in a very difficult decision.

There are other stories, but I’ll save them for another time, as the Fur Ball event in the picture is a few months down the road.

What’s going on right now is a campaign to raise needed funds for a new facility. It is very much needed here in Yuma, as I’ve been to the current facility many times and have always – even back in the 1980s – been amazed at how much they were doing with so little.

As a lifelong volunteer for a variety of charitable orgs in Yuma County, I know well how willing a community can be to support an agency that can demonstrate their positive impact for their local residents. While I’ve never volunteered or worked for them, looking at all the other agencies I can see they are right up at the top of the list all the local agencies working for good.

They have an easy way anyone can support their new facility campaign, by giving $50 or $100 for a “brick” they will put your name (or your company’s, or your pet’s) on a permanent plaque near the entrance of the building. This is your chance for immortality!

…not to mention you’ll have a part in establishing a state-of-the art facility for homeless and distressed critters. I know I was amazed and encouraged by the work this agency does. Check out their website and guaranteed, you’ll be blown away!

Here's a little of their history, from the site:

On September 1, 1965, the Humane Society of Yuma opened its doors at its current location at 285 North Figueroa. The shelter was designed to accommodate a total of 75 dogs and cats. In the mid 1980's, the kennel building was enlarged to deal with needs of a growing animal population.

The current facility, however, has far outlived its ability to meet the needs of today, and certainly is unable to meet the needs of the future. The aging shelter, with inadequate drainage, poor ventilation, and a deteriorating structure, is unable to provide a safe, healthy, and humane environment for the thousands of animals coming through the doors each and every year.

NOTE: the population of Yuma County has increased dramatically from the 1960s to now, from just over 40,000 to close to 200,000.  These are the permanent residents, and the number doesn't take into account the number of seasonal workers and snowbirds that expand the population to about 350,000 in winter months. We probably have a greater-than-normal rate of "throwaway pets," those cats and dogs taken into a family for a limited amount of time and then euthanized or dropped off somewhere. I'll get with somebody from HSOY to get an answer to that question.