Cherokee County Humane Society Inc

PREVENTION OF ANIMAL CRUELTY.

THE ORGANIZATION REMAINED FOCUSED ON ITS FIVE PRIMARY GOALS: SAAVE- SAVE, ALTER, ADOPT, VACCINATE AND EDUCATE. WE RESCUED AND ADOPTED IN EXCESS OF 900+ ANIMALS IN 2021. THESE ANIMALS WERE RESCUED PRIMARILY FROM NORTH GEORGIA ANIMAL SHELTERS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO ABANDONED OR TURNED IN THEIR PETS. ACHIEVING 909 DOCUMENTED ADOPTIONS HAS BEEN A REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC AS WE LOST MANY FOSTER HOMES, VOLUNTEERS AND DONATIONS. OUR ADOPTION PARTNERS PETSMART AND PETCO ENACTED MANY COVID RESTRICTIONS INCLUDING NOT ALLOWING ON-SITE ADOPTIONS FOR MONTHS. HOWEVER, WE PRESERVED BY UTILIZING ONLINE APPLICATIONS AND ADOPTIONS WHICH PRESENTED UNIQUE CHALLENGES. ALL OF THE 909 ADOPTED ANIMALS, PLUS, THE APPROXIMATELY 70 ANIMALS IN "FOR ADOPTION INVENTORY," WERE ALL EXAMINED BY A VETERINARY SURGEON, GIVEN APPROPRIATE VACCINATIONS AND TESTS THEN SPAYED/NEUTERED, FLEA TREATED AND MICRO CHIPPED. NO ANIMAL LEAVES CCHS WITHOUT MEDICAL CLEARANCE AND BEING SPAYED OR NEUTERED PLUS HEARTWORM TREATED, IF K9 TESTS POSITIVE. IN TANDEM WITH THE MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS, ALL "FOR ADOPTION ANIMALS" ARE QUARANTINED AT APPROVED FOSTER HOMES AS CCHS DOES NOT HAVE A SHELTER. WE ALSO PROVIDED DOG/CAT FOOD TO INDIGENT PET OWNERS WHO CANNOT AFFORD TO FEED THEIR ANIMALS. PLUS, WE OFFER DEWORMING LIQUID AS PARASITES ARE A FREQUENT PROBLEM. OFTEN THESE ARE ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS WHOSE FAMILY ARE THEIR PETS. CCHS CONTINUES TO REGULARLY SUPPORT SPAY AND NEUTER CLINICS FOR LOCAL DOGS & CATS WHICH ARE HELD IN MOBILE UNITS AT THE THRIFT STORE LOCATED AT 5900 BELLS FERRY RD. IN ACWORTH; AND THROUGH SUPPORT OF THE "ALL THE FIXINS" FORMERLY KNOWN AS GEORGIA ANIMAL PROJECT (GAP) WHICH HAS ITS OWN SPAY/NEUTER SURGICAL FACILITY IN BALL GROUND, CHEROKEE COUNTY. IN 2021 CCHS HELPED OR PAID FOR SPAY/NEUTER ABOUT 100 LOCAL PETS - THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THOSE NINE HUNDRED ANIMALS SPAYED AND NEUTERED PRIOR TO ADOPTION. WE CONTINUE TO SPONSOR LOW-COST SHOT/VACCINATION CLINICS CALLED CATSNIP CLINICS AT THE THRIFT STORE OR IN AREA. RABIES SHOTS ARE A REQUIREMENT IN GEORGIA. DISEASES LIKE PARVO, DISTEMPER, FELINE LEUKEMIA AND FELINE HIV ARE OFTEN FATAL. FINALLY, WE HELP TO EDUCATE SCHOOL CHILDREN AND COMMUNITIES BY SPEAKING AT VARIOUS GRADE, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL ORGANIZATIONS. HOWEVER, COVID HAS SEVERELY IMPACTED THIS PROGRAM AND OUR APPROVED CS PET ADOPTION PROGRAM FOR JUVENILE MISDEMEANOR OFFENSES. IN ADDITION, THROUGH OUR PROGRAM SERVICES, WE HELP INDIGENT PET OWNERS PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED MEDICAL ATTENTION TO ANIMALS WHO OTHERWISE WOULD NOT RECEIVE CARE.