Humane calendar a snap thanks to Evans Studio
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“We are not receiving any more animals,” said volunteer Lisa Shepherd, “But the shelter is still functioning with giving free spay and neuter vouchers for the community.”
Those vouchers are being provided as part of grant programs from the state and from the Bob Barker Foundation.
“They do not get the funding from the county,” Shepherd said. “They are hoping through contributions and fundraising and grants to keep it open and turn it into a spay and neuter clinic.”
The Humane Society will also be holding an Adoption Day at Three Star Mall this Saturday, Aug. 14, from 10 a.m. until around 2 p.m. in an effort to adopt out the animals still left at the shelter.
Shepherd said the Humane Society also hopes to carry on some educational activities as well by going into local schools and teaching children how important it is to have their pets spayed or neutered.
One of the fundraisers the shelter will still be working on is a calendar being put together by Shepherd which will feature shelter animals photographed by local photographer Kim Rogers of Evans Studio, who donated her time and film for the project.
“We wanted to do a calendar as a fundraiser,” Shepherd said, “so volunteers from the Humane Society went to the shelter and picked up dogs, cats and kittens and puppies and brought them to the studio one afternoon to be photographed.”
Those photos of actual local shelter animals will be used to produce the calendar. The price for the calendar is yet to be determined, and Shepherd is still looking for sponsors to donate money to help get the calendar printed, but a recent fundraising scandal in the county has hindered her efforts.
“I did go to local businesses that have been very good supporters in the past to try to get sponsors for the calendar,” she said, “but was unaware at the time of the recent scam of the sheriff’s department DARE calendar, so I think that kind of hurt.”
Shepherd is hoping the Southern Standard will be able to help overcome that problem somewhat.
“I’m hoping this article and people reading the paper, and reading the editorials about the Humane Society will support this fundraiser,” she said.
Those businesses who wish to donate to the calendar will have the name of their business appear in the calendar, and Shepherd says donations can be at the discretion of the business or individual.
“I’m not asking for particular amount,” she said. “I’m flexible. Whatever people want to give. I realize it’s hard times. Anything would be greatly appreciated.”
Donations can be sent to the Humane Society Animal Shelter, c/o calendar fundraiser, 94 Collie Drive, McMinnville, Tenn., 37110, or to Shepherd herself at Lisa Shepherd, calendar fundraiser, 694 Vervilla Road, McMinnville, Tenn., 37110.
For more information contact Shepherd at 668-0487, or the shelter at 473-5720, though since there are no longer any full-time employees at the shelter, it may take some time to get through.