A visit to the Cherokee County Humane Society is much like a walk in the park. A park filled with four legged patrons, that is. Visitors to the house-turned-office complex at 5015 Alabama Highway 9 in Cedar Bluff might be greeted by two playful kittens at the front door or by a family of tail-wagging dogs at the back gate.

This is the atmosphere the Cherokee County Humane Society has worked hard to develop. With a welcoming, clean environment and the help of devoted volunteers, the Humane Society has been expanding it’s existing programs and developing new ones.

Ethel Sprouse has spearheaded Cherokee County’s Humane Society efforts for years. She is the current treasurer for the organization, and gave an overview of the work.

“We are a no kill facility,” Sprouse emphasized. “We use a network of foster homes for the animals brought to us until we can adopt them out or transfer them. We are always looking for foster homes for small, inside dogs and puppies. Generally the home will foster an animal for about six weeks, but sometimes it is just for a few days.”

The Humane Society has always run a successful adoption program in Cherokee County, adopting out close to 15 animals per month. But this effort was not finding homes quickly enough for all of the animals brought to the facility. This past year a partnership was developed to solve that problem.

“We now have a relationship with the Atlanta Humane Society,” Sprouse said. “Because our intake animals are so healthy and our records are good, we are able to transport 20 to 30 puppies a month to the Atlanta facility. They adopt those animals out to the larger Atlanta-area population. They will adopt out 50 to 60 animals a day. We have found that if we can get our puppies and small dogs to a larger market they have a chance at a really good life.”

Sprouse noted that families thinking about getting a puppy for Christmas need to contact the Humane Society now, since those are the animals who adopt out fast or are transferred to Atlanta first.

“Most of all, we want people to know that they don’t have to drop puppies and small dogs on the side of the road,” Sprouse said. “Please call us at 779-7159. If there is any way at all we can work with them, we will.”

The Humane Society has also established a relationship with the Etowah Humane Society and PetCo in Gadsden. These facilities have agreed to take cats and kittens. The Cherokee County Humane Society is currently transferring 20 to 30 cats and kittens per month.

Sprouse estimates the Humane Society will handle 900 animals in 2010. About 200 of those will be adopted out to homes in Cherokee County and around the Southeast.

When advertising animals for adoption the Humane Society puts photos and descriptions on their Web site at cherokeehumanesociety.org and on petfinder.com.

“We get calls from all over,” Sprouse said. “One woman called from Raleigh-Durham, NC. She was looking for a Chow mix puppy, and found one of ours on petfinder.com. She just fell in love with it! After many e-mails and phone calls back and forth, I agreed to drive the puppy to her friend’s house in Augusta, Ga. Then her friend got the puppy up to her in North Carolina.”

Recently that woman, June Chappell, e-mailed Sprouse to thank her and the Humane Society for her new friend. “Just an update on Sophie,” Chappell wrote. “She is a healthy, happy girl. I will always appreciate the good work that you do for all the animals. We will take good care of Sophie for the rest of her life.”

Adding to the adoption program is the Society’s Transport Program for low cost spaying and neutering of people’s pets.

“We have partnered with Wally’s Friends in Chattanooga, a clinic offering an affordable way for citizens to spay and neuter their pets,” Sprouse explained. “The cost to the animal owner is anywhere from $30 to $45, depending on the type and size of the animal. The owner brings their pet to the Humane Society and we take care of transporting the animal to and from Wally’s Friends. This is all runs on a schedule, so if someone wants to take advantage of this service they need to call our office to get on the list. The runs fill very quickly.”

The next transport to Wally’s Friends is Dec. 7. The Society has transported close to 100 animals since September of this year.

In addition to programs, the Humane Society facilities are constantly being upgraded for the benefit of the animals.

Outside dogs are housed in 10 x 10 covered pens on a concrete pad. Each pen has it’s own heated doghouse. In the summer a mist and fan system keeps the dogs cool.

With winter approaching, volunteer Jeff Grace is installing portable windbreak walls around the pens to protect the dogs from the elements. Grace lives next door to the facility and has donated countless hours creating the safest, most comfortable habitats for the animals.

“I just love dogs,” Grace said. “I’ve worked over here fixing fences, carpentry, covering outside pens – just whatever Ethel needs done.”

The pens open onto large outdoor yards where volunteers play with the dogs on a regular basis. “We have staff to work with them and give them lots of love,” Sprouse said.

In the middle of one of the play yards a new structure is almost finished – a doggie deck!

“The dogs want to get up off of the ground sometimes,” Sprouse explained. “A covered deck is being built in the yard by Delmus Brewster and his crew. There are going to be benches on each end. When it is done it will give the dogs a new place to lay and play.”

You don’t have to be a construction worker to give time to the Humane Society. All it takes is a desire to help.

Cathy Epps is a recent volunteer. She gives three days a week to the Humane Society for one simple reason. “I love animals,” Epps said. “I was raised with animals and I can’t stand to see an animal get hurt.”

Like many of the other volunteers, Epps says she does whatever is needed. “Today I’m stuffing envelopes for a mailing,” Epps said. “I’ve also cleaned out the pens, played with the cats, walked the dogs – all kinds of things.”

Jo Davis has volunteered for the last two years, and has turned into a “foster mom” to some of the animals. “These animals need help, and it is a lot of fun to be a volunteer,” Davis said.

Other volunteers take a leadership role, like Transport Coordinator Rene Audette and Medical Coordinator Eva Fox.

“Everyone here is a volunteer,” Sprouse stresses. “All of our funds go back to the animals.”

The Humane Society has big plans for the large front yard. “We have moved my gazebo to the front yard, and hope we can build a walking trail there too,” Sprouse said. “One day it can be an area where the public can bring their dogs and play. We also want to offer training for both the owners and their dogs and more education for the youth in our community.”

Local mothers who bring their children there to play with the puppies have already put the area to good use. Even home schooled students have stopped by for some outside fun.

Sprouse pointed out that all of this progress is due to dedicated volunteers and continued financial donations.

“It is very expensive to keep all of this going and we are in desperate need of funds,” Sprouse said. “We are thankful for support the Cherokee County Commission gives us. But so much more is needed to fully fund the programs we currently have.

“We have purchased a new van for transporting the animals. Gas alone runs $200 to $300 a month. Then there is food and medical care.”

Sprouse stressed the need for donations in any form. “We need dog houses, food bowls, 10 x 10 pens – just anything you can think of that you would need to take care of an animal. Anything you have to donate that has been used for a cat or dog, we will come and get it!”

With the financial need so great, the Humane Society is coming up with new ways to raise funds.

The facility has started to board animals for the public. Small dog boarding is $10 a day; large dog boarding is $15 a day.

Another service available to the public is pet grooming.

“We have made an arrangement with professional groomers with Groom N Go out of Gaylesville,” Sprouse said. “We now have a grooming salon here at the Humane Society, and the Groom N Go people will be here one day a week to provide grooming services.”

For more information about the services offered and to make an appointment, call 779-7159.

The ultimate dream of the Humane Society is simple.

“With time, our hope no animal is euthanized,” Sprouse explained. “That takes a lot of effort on everyone’s part. We want to commend the County for the animal control program. It has been needed. But it takes both of our efforts to solve animal control. With the County Commission and Humane Society working together through animal control, aggressive spay/neutering programs, and adoption facilities, we can make a difference.”