Murphy – Still in shock from the sudden and unexpected death of their executive director, Valley River Humane Society volunteers gathered on Feb. 8 to map a path forward for the struggling organization.
About 35 people gathered in the Downtown Pizza Co. meeting room to learn more about the humane society’s status in providing services for a three-county region of Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties.
Kirsty Waller, 48, died on Feb. 1. A memorial service will be Saturday, Feb. 18, at Townson-Rose Funeral Home, 138 Peachtree St., with visitation at 4 p.m. followed by a service at 5 p.m.
Waller was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and lived in the Jack Branch community of Robbinsville. She received a doctorate degree in animal behavior from the University of Bristol in England before buying a home in Graham County in 1996. Over the last seven years, she managed the humane society’s shelter in Cherokee County, for which she was credited with helping save more than 14,000 animals.
The Valley River Humane Society is a nonprofit volunteer organization with the primary goal of reducing the number of homeless animals in the community. The facility takes in about 2,000 homeless pets and strays every year, split about equally between dogs and cats, according to its website.
The humane society was closed following Waller’s death and continues to operate on limited hours. The “News & Events” section of its website started the year off on Jan. 31 with a cheery headline, “Exciting New Events Planned for 2023!” Waller died a day later, and the following three posts related to her death, directly or indirectly.
The organization’s board of directors continues to function without an executive director, seeking a wide range of resources from donors and local governments to continue operating.
Jim Gerke, president of the board, fought back tears when he presided over the Feb. 8 meeting, just one week after Waller’s death. There is no way to fill Waller’s shoes, he said, but the organization will try its best.
Gerke said the humane society’s mission continues and is unwavering – “Hold back the tide of overpopulation of animals in our community,” he said. It costs between $40 and $60 per animal per day to keep animals healthy in the humane society’s care.
Gerke and other board members are seeking volunteers to help in a wide range of areas. They include greeting would-be adopters outside the facility, inside-office light clerical work and appointment bookers, laundry and other housekeeping chores, manual labor and gardeners, and even people who just want to help some of the less social animals get ready for adoption.
They also need someone with information technology skills to help update humane society software and internet connectivity.
“We’re not going to beat around the bush,” said Ariane Reeves, director at large and volunteer chairperson. “This is what we need.”
Details about donating time, money and animal food (Purina One is preferred) – or all three – can be found on valleyriverhumanesociety.org.