Puppy Love: "Progress is made as local Humane Society Board meets"

The Kennett Area Humane Society board recently met and is making progress toward its mission of making possible a better world for all animals by providing shelter, educating the community about humane care and treatment, advocating animal welfare, and promoting the human-animal bond. Photo illustration [Click to enlarge]

The board also coordinated the mailing of thank you notes to all donors who have made the project possible, according to board member Brian Mitchell.

A checking account was also set up and funded with the donations received to date.

Other board members present for the recent meeting included Candace Mitchell, Debby Stokley and Mike Parr, who also talked about plans for a future meeting to be held in Nashville, Tenn.

That meeting will be shared with "some like-minded animal-lovers" from Tennessee who may be able to offer suggestions that could help the local shelter operate more efficiently, and see positive results, according to Kennett board members.

The City of Kennett dog pound, which was erected around 40 to 50 years ago has historically been a problem for the city and animal lovers in the area.

In the past year or so, city leaders began seriously discussing the possibility of a new dog pound.

After applying for grants the help of city employees from the Park, Fire, and Street Departments, as well as the City's Light, Gas and Water Department, the new pound finally found a new beginning, on County Road 508.

The new pound was initially financed through a $26,400 grant from the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development which the City of Kennett applied for and received. A substantial amount of citizen donations were also made in support of the cause.

The new facility will be an all steel building measuring 30 feet wide and 40 feet deep with steel doors and room for expansion.

According to Mayor Roger Wheeler, the city hopes to have the facility completed and ready to be occupied by the end of December, 2008. At that time, it is projected that the city will enter and agreement with the Kennett Area Humane Society to run the facility.

In early September Natalie Tate, widow of the late long-time Kennett veterinarian Dr. Milton Tate, met with several members of the community to form a society board and elect a board chairman, secretary, and treasurer.

The group consisted of Jerry Noble, Brian and Candace Mitchell, Debby Stokley, Freddi Sokoloff and Mike Parr, who along with Tate decided on a Mission Statement and proceeded filing the 501c3 application required for a license to become a not-for-profit organization.

The mission of the local humane society is to make possible a better world for all animals by providing shelter, educating the community about humane care and treatment, advocating animal welfare, and promoting the human-animal bond.

The license enables the organization to apply for grants and receive tax deductable donations from businesses and public citizens to financially run the humane shelter.

"As late as we are to this party, which is, again, totally the fault of yours truly, we think that we are making strong inroads towards our goal of operating this shelter with the respect and vigilance that it will deserve," Brian Mitchell said of the group's progress.

"We want to once again thank the public for its patience and surely for its generosity."

A Web site and mailing address has also been set up for the organization. The Internet site is kahs08@gmail.com, and the mailing address is K.A.H.S., P.O. Box 153, Kennett, Mo., 63857.