Humane Society Thanks Supporters in Year-End Letter

The Oxford Lafayette Humane Society (OLHS) accepted 3,704 animals in 2017, according to an end-of-the-year letter issued by its board to supporters on Friday.
“No animal is turned away,” noted the letter, signed by OLHS president Cyd Dunlap and other members of the organization’s leadership and board. “Our mission is to get these homeless and abandoned animals off the streets and into the shelter where they will be treated with kindness and compassion, nurtured and provided for until they are ready to be fostered, adopted or transported to a region whose companion animal population is under control by effective spay-neuter programs.”
Here’s the full text of the letter, posted on the OLHS Facebook page on Friday morning:

“Dear Friends of OLHS,

 

As the year draws to a close, we want to take a moment to thank each one of you who have supported our efforts to carry out our mission in 2017. Whether you donated money or volunteered your time, we thank you. Whether you adopted one of our animals, walked one of our dogs, or socialized with a cat, we thank you. None of what we do here would be possible without your support in some way, so WE THANK YOU! 

 

When Tom Flynn, Miriam Weems and Milmurry Hopkins incorporated the Oxford Lafayette Humane Society 35 years ago on December 28, 1982, we believe our founders had much more than an animal shelter in mind. We are not, nor have we ever been, just an animal shelter. We are much more. Our goal has always been to positively impact the animals and residents in our community and surrounding areas in meaningful ways. 

 

In 2017, we have accepted 3,704 animals to date. Those numbers include: dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, hedgehogs, hamsters, and pigs! OLHS is an open-admission animal shelter. We accept all animals without a fee, no questions asked. No animal is turned away. Our mission is to get these homeless and abandoned animals off the streets and into the shelter where they will be treated with kindness and compassion, nurtured and provided for until they are ready to be fostered, adopted or transported to a region whose companion animal population is under control by effective spay-neuter programs.

 

Our animal transport program began in 2002. Throughout these 15 years, we have transported dogs and cats to Colorado, Massachusetts, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Louisiana. We have recently partnered with the SPCA of Southwest Michigan in Kalamazoo, MI. In the past two months, 91 canines have made their way from Mississippi to Michigan to find their happily ever after.

 

2017 was a year of challenges and changes for us at OLHS but as always we remain committed to improving the services we provide our furry residents and our community. We work every day to protect the legion of animals suffering from cruelty, abuse, neglect, hunger, and abandonment each year.

 

We cannot accomplish our life-saving work without the help of all our supporters. We are lucky to have supporters like you who share our passion for improving the future for all the homeless animals in our community. Your tax-deductible contribution will help bolster our programs and allow us to continue our 35 years of dedication and hard work.

 

Please share with your animal-loving family, friends, and colleagues via email and social media using #OLHScelebrates35years.

 

The shelter animals, staff, and Board of Directors wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy Hanukkah—woof!”