When you walk into the Greenville Humane Society, located about 10 minutes from campus off North Pleasantburg Drive, you will be greeted by cats and dogs eagerly awaiting adoption.
At the society, anyone can walk into the building to hold and play with the animals. There are several opportunities for BJU students to get involved.
Sara Lane, an adoption counselor at the society, said, “We always appreciate volunteers. We are trying to expand our campus.”
In fact, Haley Mazanec, an adoption manager, said the society welcomes and appreciates walk-ins who give the animals attention. Mazanec said that walking, specifically, is a great way to socialize the animals and get them used to walking on a leash.
“It helps them get used to people,” she said.
The society has three bonding rooms, plus a yard where owners-to-be can spend time playing with the animals. This allows the buyers to see what the dog or cat is like before they take them home.
Right now, the society is fundraising in order to expand their medical facilities as well, in order to take in more animals suffering from health issues or illnesses.
Even if you don’t have time to be a regular volunteer, the society is always accepting old blankets or towels to keep the pets warm. You can also donate newspaper in order to keep the cages clean.
In fact, right after you read this article, you can donate this paper to the society!
Adoption costs range from $145 to $25. The prices vary since they are unique to the animals’ needs.
“It depends on availability and how long the animal has been in the shelter,” Mazanec said. She said the fee includes the animals’ spay and neuter procedures, their first vaccinations, heart worm prevention, and flea and tick medication.
Mazanec said that adult animals, especially cats, are less likely to be adopted first. When dogs have been in the facility for a long period of time, they reduce the cost of adoption in order to give the pets a home.
“We have an adult dog sale,” Mazanec said.
The society is able to care for a large number of rescued animals.
“Our building can hold about 500, but we are not always at capacity,” Mazanec said. “Most of them time we have around 100 on the adoption floor.”
Animals not on the adoption floor are usually being treated in the back for injury or sickness.
Because of the large number of animals needing care, a large number of volunteers is required to run the society. Lane said the exact number of volunteers depends on the day. She said they have hundreds of people who come in shifts throughout the week.
The Humane Society welcomes volunteers as young as 13 to help care for the animals. Their tasks include cleaning kennels, washing dishes and unfolding newspaper. Adult volunteers walk the adult dogs in order to give them exercise and teach them simple commands. They also assist the staff with basic cleaning jobs.
The Greenville Humane Society is one of the largest no-kill facilities in the Southeast. Instead of putting animals to sleep with injections when space is limited, the society takes in only as many as their facilities can handle. This give the animals a quality place to live prior to adoption.
Although you probably can’t adopt a pet right now, you can easily visit the Greenville Humane Society on Airport Road and make the pets-to-be happy by playing with them or giving them fresh blankets.
Take a break from studying and brighten a puppy’s day.
