BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – While Raleigh County is still faced with an overwhelming stray animal influx, the Humane Society of Raleigh County continues to work toward getting the overload under control.
After making the announcement for their new Delaney Wykle Animal Wellness Center over a month ago, the shelter has been raising the funds to start getting the process moving. It’s about a 1.3-million dollar endeavor that the Executive Director of the humane society Brett Keys says is going to take some more time.
“A really good fundraiser you’re raising 5 to $10,000 a pop, so you know it does take a while. We rely almost exclusively here on donations from private individuals just to run our main facility,” says Kees.
The main goal for the wellness center will be the issuing of speedier spay and neuter operations at lower costs to residents. It’s an effort that will effectively combat the growing stray problem when it’s complete. It’s also a project that Kees says is the only humane solution.
“Spay and neuter is literally the axel that everything runs around,” he says. “If you do not enact spay and neuter legislation or do not provide funding for spays and neuters, you’re not solving the problem.”
Population control isn’t the only perk of the spay and neuter procedures. According to the National Humane Society, the lifespan of pets that get spayed and neutered tends to be longer.
Keys says they are basic healthcare procedures that should be more accessible to the community.
“A large percentage of what we spend here on the care of animals is for procedures like mastectomies and things like that, animals with tumors,” says Kees. “A lot of these things can be avoided just by spays and neuters and basic healthcare.”
Kees says that spays and neuters would not only improve the quality of life for animals while helping to control the influx, but he also says it would reduce taxpayer dollars opposed to building a county-run animal shelter.
While slightly delayed, the construction for the new animal wellness center the humane society is getting is set to still be underway some time in the near future.
