LIBERTY — Due to continued financial strains, the Pickens County Humane Society closed it’s doors to pet-intakes on Oct. 2, but the shelter in Liberty continues to adopt cats and dogs out while hoping for a miracle that will enable them to keep the agency afloat.
“Inevitably, financial struggles have hit PCHS, again. Each year we end up in this same position,” reads a post on Foothills Humane’s website. “As we carry on with normal business throughout the year, donations decrease, and expenses continue to grow, therefore, funds are quickly depleted.”
Unfortunately, it’s a familiar situation. In 2017, the shelter faced certain closure only to be spared by an 11th hour crowd-sourced fundraising platform that went viral. The needed $70,000 to maintain operational costs was secured and the shelter was safe — for a time.
“We believe in our program and the services we provide. We have goals and a vision for our future,” shelter staff wrote. “However, due to the lack of funds remaining as we near the end of this year, our vision has been obstructed and our future seems bleak. We will not be able to continue to provide the services and continue the care for the animals, if we do not have the operational costs to finish 2019. The ability to make a difference in each pet that comes through our program and each family that adopts will no longer be possible. The temporary home PCHS provides to some 700-1,000 pets per year will no longer exist. Roxie, our permanent resident will lose her fur-ever home. The goals of enhancing our programs, growing our services and establishing a mobile, low cost spay/ neuter/ vaccine clinic will not be made a reality.”
Finances determine the fate of the shelter’s future and the lack of funds will force the doors to close, they said.
“At this time we are no longer accepting animals into our program, as we do not have funds to operate through the end of this year,” shelter staff wrote. “We will continue to provide adoptions.”
Donations may be made to the shelter by visiting pchumanesociety.org.
