No-kill, non-profit, LC Humane Society working to keep doors open

Jennifer Bixler works to socialize LCHS puppies so potential owners will know if the dogs are cat-friendly. Photo by Judith Brown

Clinton, S.C.  – The Laurens County Humane Society, the county’s no-kill adoption center for dogs and cats, has found itself in a state of emergency of sorts, and co- directors Brooke Spatta and Jill Mechling warned staff this past weekend that the non-prof it’s days could be numbered if it can’t get the county and local animal lovers to rally around.

It’s not at all what the co- directors or staff desire, however, and they are working on a more positive outcome.

Mechling admits that every non profit struggled through the pandemic when giving everywhere dropped dramatically. At the same time many people took on new pets but, sadly, the owner-surrendered pets brought by county residents to the Humane Society began increasing during and especially following the shut down.

Then boxes of kittens and puppies left on their doorstep also increased.

“We’re currently at 24 cats and kittens in our facility and six more in foster homes, and there are 13 dogs and puppies,” Mechling said.

While the non-profit has saved 1600 animals over the last eight years, some of these cats have grown from tiny springtime kittens  to adults.

“They don’t know any different and they are happy as clams but we can’t take new kittens until some of these are adopted,” Mechling said.

Pet owners who adopt from the Laurens County Humane Society pay a fee which covers part but not all of the food, vaccines, surgery, microchip, socialization and exercise which every animal there receives. And that’s why the facility has continued to need regular donations in addition to those fees.

“A free kitten or puppy is never free,” Mechling said. “One visit to the veterinarian to get required vaccines and properly care for the animal is expensive and our animals have all that already done. We don’t send an animal out of our doors without being spayed or neutered because we don’t want to have puppies and kittens from these animals returned to us, or to the county. Every animal already has all the age-appropriate vaccines and that’s why we have to charge to try and recover some of the costs.”

Mechling said while cash donations have dropped drastically, a simple Facebook post requesting Purina One pet food or supplies often gets quick response. But in the years since county residents opened their wallets to help build the no-kill humane society, some of the primary donors have passed away, local veterinarians willing to provide rescue rate spays and neuters have retired and the costs of microchips, vaccine supplies and even the rescue rate surger- ies have about doubled.

The LCHS has a good working relationship with Laurens County Animal Control. The county agency, which accepts no cats at all, and the small non-profit are typically both full, so Mechling said she knows it will increase the county’s dilemma if the Laurens County Humane Society were to close.