Freda Waters, president of the Cherokee Humane Society Board of Trustees and vice-president of the Alabama Humane Associ-ation, spoke to the Centre Rotary Club at their Aug. 27 meeting. She gave an update on the growth of the society since the trustee board was created three years ago.

Waters first spoke to the club after the board was formed to share with them the dreams of and need for a Cherokee Humane Society.

“We are a little closer today to realizing our dream of having a Humane Society in Cherokee County than we were when I originally spoke with you a couple of years ago,” Waters began. “It became a dream of mine some 12 years ago when I first started working with the DeKalb County SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). We began to get calls from concerned people in Cherokee County about animals that they had seen that were in distress or needing help, or abandoned animals and animals that were in situations where there was cruel neglect or mistreatment.”

At that time, Waters began to investigate some of the complaints and perform rescue work with other concerned citizens. As the complaints kept coming, Waters and friends decided something had to be done.

“Since incorporating and becoming a Humane Society we’ve not been in the paper very much but we’ve been working behind the scenes and have actually accomplished a great deal,” said Waters. “We are a legitimate Humane Society. We do have our tax-exempt status. As members of the Alabama Humane Federation, we have played an active role in seeing that the new anti-cruelty towards animals bill, which is entitled the Pet Protection Act, was passed through legislation and signed into law this past August. This bill upgrades cruelty and neglect in the state of Alabama to a Class C Felony. It also provides for us to be able to prosecute for the abandonment of animals.

“We have also acquired property, which is paid for. It is debt-free,” Waters continued. “We actually signed our deed to that property in June, and now we are ready to build.”

To date, the Cherokee Humane Society has rescued approximately 553 animals in cooperation with the Board of Trustees and DeKalb County facilities. Waters has conducted 43 investigations in the county while working with the Sheriff’s and Police Departments.

“You may not be aware of it, but where you find animal abuse and cruelty such as with pit bulls and people fighting that particular breed of dogs, there are other elements involved. There’s not only the dog fighting but there is also drug abuse and drug dealing, illegal gambling and alcohol abuse. All of those things factor into these cases.”

Waters hopes that when the new facilities are built and in use, the society will be able to help Cherokee County in many more ways.

“Our main thrust will be to help animals. When you help animals, you help the community and the people in it. We will also focus steadily on education, cruelty and neglect investigations and spaying and neutering. As a Humane Society we have also been instrumental in helping the Alabama Humane Federation obtain a $2.5 million grant for spaying and neutering. As long as you are a Medicaid recipient, you can take you pet into a vet’s office and pay either a five or 10 dollar co-pay and have you pet spayed or neutered.”

If the spaying and neutering program works and the euthanasia rate drops in shelters and societies across Alabama, the grants could possibly become available for Medicare recipients (and eventually all citizens) to aid in spaying and neutering.

After telling the Rotarians how much their support is needed and appreciated in this endeavor to help the county, Waters opened the floor for questions.

Many questions were brought up concerning the functions of the society. Mayor Phil Powell asked about the pet memorial gardens at the DeKalb SPCA and whether or not there would be one here.

In DeKalb, you can have your beloved pet cremated after death and the ashes placed under a special six by six-inch marker. Waters hopes to offer this service after the society is functioning.

She also mentioned the walking park that will surround the facility. It will be available to all, not just animal owners. The track will be open for walking and running and the park for picnics and recreation.

Animal control will can not be offered by the Cherokee Society. In the case of stray animals, they will take in any that are brought to the shelter. If the County and municipalities choose to hire a state mandated animal control officer, the society will be glad to facilitate and train that person. As Waters says, Humane Societies protect animals from humans and animal control protects humans from animals.

Waters does hope the county will decide to hire an Animal Control Officer. If that decision is made, the society will help in any way possible, by offering office space and housing for picked up animals.

The building project is not yet being funded other than by donations and fundraisers. The state has decided that other organizations need funding more than the society. The trustees understand the state’s position on the issue and have assigned Judy Sallis the job of organizing a full-throttle fundraising campaign that will begin soon.

Midway Variety is helping by donating money from can recycling. When people bring in cans, instead of taking the money themselves, they can take a tax-deductible receipt and donate the money to the Cherokee Humane Society.

After leaving the rotary club meeting Monday, Waters visited Midway to accept a check for $93.75 from owners, Truman and Mary Lyons.

“We appreciate Midway Variety Sales very much for their participation in helping us,” said Waters. “If we could just get everybody to be as concerned as Truman and Mary, we could get this thing built in no time.