Humane Society of Morgan County - Philosophy Statement from the Board of Directors

WE ARE YOUR HUMANE SOCIETY

We are the Humane Society of Morgan County (HSMC), and we exist for the benefit of the animals and the education and assistance of the people who own them. Our formal goal is to provide safety, food, medical support, and a caring home to ALL animals in our facility.

We are a private organization. We receive NO financial support from any federal,
state or local agency or any other animal welfare organizations. We exist EXCLUSIVELY
on donations, grants and the good will of our unpaid Board of Directors, volunteers and the people of Morgan County. We are not formally connected with the Morgan county government in any way.

Our facility has an 18-run dog kennel, two cat containment buildings, and a donated trailer we use for administration and animal display. We usually have about 75 cats and 20 dogs under our care at any one time.

The Morgan County government currently has two people responsible for animal disposition: the Dog Warden and the Animal Humane Officer. The Dog Warden is responsible for taking possession of all stray, abandoned, and mistreated dogs. He can offer a dog he has obtained to us if the animal is not in his view un-adoptable because it is vicious, seriously injured or terminally ill. Otherwise he will maintain the dog for a period determined by him and then have it euthanised. The Animal Humane Officer is responsible for insuring that all animals in Morgan County are treated humanely.

Our county does not have a policy covering the general disposition of all animals. Therefore, we have assumed a voluntary responsibility, a shared responsibility with the people of our county, for animal welfare that goes beyond just does and general humane treatment of animals. We will provide shelter, remedial and preventative medical support, socialization, and adoption services for any animal we are physically able to take in. Our underlying objective is to preserve life. We will never allow indiscriminate euthanasia. This is our promise to you, the people of Morgan County.

We are a proactive organization that works for the universal benefit of our county. We conduct subsidized rabies clinics to encourage proper medical support of pets. We operate a Trap/Neuter/Return feral cat program that returns cats to their colony. We have an aggressive adoption advertising program that includes showing available animals at area pet supply stores, adoption days, other adoption facilities, and two websites.

Our commitment to our community is simple and straightforward. We will give the best possible within our means to the animals of this county, and we will strive to make our facility the pride of this county and see that it continues to exist and improve. We, in turn, need you, the people of Morgan County, to support our donation drives, volunteer, and tell your elected officials that your Humane Society is a critical part of this community that requires financial support that it does not currently receive.

For additional information about the Humane Society of Morgan County including a calendar of upcoming events, news and information related to the Humane Society including various ways to help support the adoption center, go to their website www.hsmc-wv.org.