Isabella, 17, and Lincoln Lawhorn, 6, play with Coco, a kitten who Humane Society board member Doris Buzzard said was turned over to the society by the Columbiana County Drug Enforcement Task Force and will need to remain in a cast for at least four more weeks. (Photo by Morgan Ahart)

SALEM–The Columbiana County Humane Society opened its doors to the community Saturday.

The Humane Society held an open house from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday inviting the community to see the work which has been done to the 86-year-old facility. Humane Society volunteer and board member Doris Buzzard said that the building was approximately two-thirds renovated through the support of the Robert M. Atchison Trust Fund and Steve Bailey, noting that in addition to his financial support Bailey has been essential in helping to oversee and coordinate the day-to-day renovation work.

The renovations thus far include the complete renovation of the society’s lobby, office, and laundry room, the installation of a new restroom and grooming room, and a new epoxy floor. They have also seen new windows and doors installed in the dog kennel and throughout the shelter, and the complete renovation of five of the shelter’s seven cat rooms upstairs. Renovation efforts for the remaining third of the shelter are still ongoing with plans to complete the remaining two cat rooms including additional enrichment opportunities for cats; to install a new furnace in the kennel; to paint repaint and replace hardware on existing kennels; and to installs additional kennels donated by Angels for Animals by board members, staff, and community volunteers as fundraising efforts allow.

The Humane Society has also identified several goals to be completed within the next 12 months including: renovating its cat isolation room; designing a puppy isolation room and review protocols for the dog isolation room; hiring an executive director and part-time humane agent; diversifying the Humane Society Board with more specialized skill sets; and continuing to develop its sustainability plan.

Buzzard said that when work began to renovate the shelter in August the Humane Society paused its intake of animals and found homes for the animals which were in their care, accepting only a limited number of cats during the renovations. However, she said that they were once again taking in both cats and dogs in need as space and budget allow. She explained that the Humane Society must limit the number of animals which can be taken in at a given time to ensure that they have adequate space and can receive the highest quality of veterinary care which she noted accounted for more than 70 percent of the Humane Society’s expenses.

“Sometimes you have to make very hard decisions to do right by the animals and we’re not going to overcrowd them. We have to make sure they’re not stressed anymore because they’re coming from bad situations, and we’re committed to ensuring the best quality of care for them possible,” Buzzard said. “The veterinary care for most of our animals is far more than just getting spayed and is our biggest expense, that’s why we need our community’s support.”

She said that during the initial one-week isolation period before an animal can safely be integrated with the rest of the population they go through a full veterinary regimen to ensure that all their needs are met, and they are ready to meet their new family. Once the isolation period has been completed cats are moved to one of the free-roaming cat rooms and dogs are moved to the kennel, with Buzzard noting that they work to match the occupants of each room to ensure they do not become stressed, and to ensure that bonded pairs are not separated.

This work comes with substantial monetary and labor costs which must be funded entirely through donations, fundraising, and the work of volunteers as the Humane Society receives no government funding. Those interested in supporting the Humane Society’s vital work can visit www.columbianacountyhumanesociety.com/donate or www.columbianacountyhumanesociety.com/volunteer to learn more about making a monetary donation or volunteering respectively. The Humane Society also has Amazon and Chewy wish lists to purchase necessary items like cat litter, dog and cat food, and cleaning supplies for the Humane Society.

“All the donations we receive go directly to veterinary care for the animals and keeping the shelter operational,” said Buzzard.

The Humane Society also has a slate of fundraising events scheduled throughout the upcoming year including weekly bingo nights at 4 p.m. every Wednesday at the Memorial Building, and an upcoming partnership with the Salem Chipotle location which will see 25 percent of online orders using the code WJ2DX2Q, and in person orders which show the event flyer on Sept. 20 donated to the Humane Society.