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Spot, the sole canine in the FCHS kennels on Monday, knows how to sit.
A new kennel unit is on the Floyd County Humane Society shelter property off Franklin Pike.
Thor is a current FCHS shelter resident.
Mr. Pretty Kitty knows his name suits him.
There’s plenty of sun in the cat rooms at the FCHS shelter.
A kitten at the shelter isn’t too happy about being disturbed.
Spot offers his Kong toy to kennel visitors by putting it in his food bowl.
Spot has a double-unit as the only current kennel resident at the FCHS shelter.
The doggie door behind Spot has a lip on it, so Spot can open it with his nose.
The Floyd County Humane Society is one step closer to its decades-long goal of having a central location that meets all of its volunteers’ and animals’ needs.
Since Ted and Shirley Birkeland left Human Society a monetary gift that funded the purchase of the shelter property off Franklin Pike in the fall of 2021, volunteers have been planning, remodeling and settling animals into the new space.
What used to be a garage and side room has been transformed into cat rooms, with a couple allowed to mill around.
The adult cat cages currently in use at the society have wide openings, perfect for petting Thor and Mr. Pretty Kitty.
New enclosed units that have not yet been installed feature separated areas for lounging, eating and a litter box.
The new units will be hooked up to a ventilation system to keep clean air inside and odors to a minimum, Sarah Sowers said.
An anonymously donated kennel unit was installed earlier this month, giving the Human Society and its volunteers a dedicated space for canines to safely run off energy and meet potential adopters and/or siblings.
Sowers, vice president of the Floyd County Humane Society Board of Directors, said most dogs that the humane society needs to house are medium to large. Many complete a boarding and training program before they’re listed for adoption.
The new kennels can be customized to have up to seven units, or they can be bigger, based on the number of dogs at the humane society and their sizes.
Food and water bowls can be filled without opening kennel doors, which particularly helps volunteers with some of the high-energy, large dogs, Sowers said.
Spot, a black shepherd mix, was the only one in the kennels on Monday, and he was waiting for his turn to board and train.
Spot is an excitable, sweet and sometimes-anxious boy, who can already sit and seems to understand when you tell him to go open the doggie door to his kennel and go inside.
The white board around the corner from his inside door notes he loves tennis balls and Kong toys, and Spot can gently take a treat using his front teeth.
An enclosed lot connected to the kennels gives Spot all the room he needs to stretch out when he runs, and it has several escape-proof features, including a double-gate entrance.
The humane society also has plans to revamp the property behind the shelter to include walking trails and open areas for dogs to exercise, practice walking on a leash and play.
Floyd County Humane Society has been an all-volunteer organization since its foundation in the early-2000s, depending on members to foster adoptable pets. The shelter expands the number of animals the socieity can help in addition to fostering.
Sowers said fostering is always preferable to keeping animals at a shelter for an extended period of time since it acclimates pets to routines and sounds of everyday life.
The humane society will host a grand opening for the public to explore the new facilities and meet some of its residents sometime in the future, Sowers said.
The sitting room of the main shelter still holds a portrait of Louie Pierre, a treasured poodle of the Birkelands’, who helped the nonprofit’s vision finally come to fruition.
Community partners have also been instrumental in raising funds for the shelter project, including local scout troops that have organized animal costume parades and sold homemade goods.
The Buffalo Mountain Brewery and McDaniel’s Tavern hosted the second Pints 4 Paws this month, raising more than $3,000.
Volunteers attend most community events with booths that showcase the nonprofit’s efforts, and some events include Clyde’s Corner, featuring adoptable pets.
Additional information about the Floyd County Humane Society and its efforts to rehome pets in Floyd County can be found at www.floydhumanesociety.org.
Volunteer and donation opportunities are also shared at www.facebook.com/FCHSVA.
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Spot, the sole canine in the FCHS kennels on Monday, knows how to sit.
A new kennel unit is on the Floyd County Humane Society shelter property off Franklin Pike.
Thor is a current FCHS shelter resident.
Mr. Pretty Kitty knows his name suits him.
There’s plenty of sun in the cat rooms at the FCHS shelter.
A kitten at the shelter isn’t too happy about being disturbed.
Spot offers his Kong toy to kennel visitors by putting it in his food bowl.
Spot has a double-unit as the only current kennel resident at the FCHS shelter.
The doggie door behind Spot has a lip on it, so Spot can open it with his nose.