Many people consider their pets as part of the family, but for the staff and volunteers who operate the Humane Society of Cedar Creek Lake, it is the lost and stray animals in Kaufman and Henderson Counties that are made to feel at home. The facility, located in Tool, receives dogs and cats picked up by county animal services departments and surrendered by individuals.
“We want to help as many animals as we can, whether reuniting them with their owners or getting them adopted to a new home,” said HSCCL Operations Manager Theressa Henderson. “We see so many come in with malnutrition and deteriorating health … Thankfully, we have been more successful over the last year by using Facebook and doing a lot of adoption events.”
The organization does not receive any outside funding from state or government programs, putting its success in the hands of the area community that benefits from the service it provides. That means a constant need for awareness, volunteer workers and donations.
“There is no outside funding whatsoever, so donations like this really help us,” said Lanette Ainsworth, who serves as the president of the HSCCL Board of Directors. “The safety of the public and getting the animals off the streets is a real service to the community. The shelter has struggled and has been under-funded for many years, but it is nice to see that we are now stable and able to make sure the animals are healthy and ready to adopt.”
For families looking for a pet, the $100 adoption fee, which covers up-to-date vaccinations and spay or neuter procedures, can be a real bargain.
Adoption fees and donations may cover some operational costs, but volunteer workers really make a difference.
“We could always use more volunteers,” Ainsworth said. “We average 85 adoptions per month, and a lot of that is from taking these animals out to adoption events every weekend. As we are able to get out into the public and raise awareness, that makes a huge difference, and volunteers make that possible.”
For more information visit the organization’s website, hsccl.org, or find them on Facebook.
Other organizations receiving TVEC Charitable Foundation grants recently include:
Hunt County Kids: $3,000
Forney Arts Council: $3,000
Kaufman Senior Connect: $5,000
Friends of Riter Hulsey Library: $2,000
East Texas Crisis Center: $3,500
