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Nonprofit agencies in Cherokee County do a tremendous job, despite having not nearly enough resources. Such is the case with the Valley River Humane Society, which also has the unenviable task of assisting law enforcement in matters like when 39 dogs, three birds and a cat were living under “pretty horrific conditions” and seized after an eviction notice was delivered in Andrews on July 7, 2023.
That was the largest animal rescue operation in Cherokee County since August 2006, when 111 dogs were rescued from a home in Bellview that was so soaked in feces and urine that it required workers to wear hazmat suits to clean it up. In between dealing with animal disasters like those, the humane society operates a no-kill animal shelter in Marble that serves Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties.
The nonprofit does a commendable job taking in about 2,000 homeless pets and strays per year, split about equally between cats and dogs. “This is what happens when we don’t spay and neuter our animals,” shelter manager Cheyenne Spicola told the Cherokee Scout.
She’s absolutely right. The problem isn’t the animals doing what comes naturally, the problem is irresponsible owners who let their pets roam, free to create litters of kittens and puppies that some people will sadly just let loose in the wild to fend for themselves.
The humane society held a Freedom Walk at Konehete Veterans Park on Feb. 1, when a good time seemed to be had by both canines and humans, but fundraisers are not enough to provide what the animal shelter needs to keep successfully operating. The nonprofit also needs more assistance from the government, primarily for animal control, as noted by a guest columnist Jeff Manson, vice president of the board of directors, in the Jan. 24 edition of the Scout.
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners rejected a proposed animal control ordinance on July 17, 2023, preferring for the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office to enforce state laws against vicious pets. And on Jan. 11, 2024, the board appointed Sheriff Dustin Smith to be the county’s animal control officer – even though state law specifies that many animal control issues, including rabies and vicious animals, should fall under the control of the local health director.
However, all that decision did was force more duties on an official who says his department is already cash-strapped and overworked. And since the animal shelter is almost always overcrowded, there isn’t a local facility to take in the county’s vicious dogs while awaiting final disposition. Animal control is needed.
This is where you come in. Donations of cash, pet food and supplies – as well as volunteers willing to donate time to the cause – are desperately needed to keep the Valley River Humane Society out of the red and working to find homes for our furry four-legged friends.
For details, stop by the animal shelter at 7450 U.S. 19, call 828-837-2304 or visit valleyriverhumanesociety.org. Don’t contribute to the problem – be a part of the solution.
David Brown is publisher of the Cherokee Scout. You can reach him by phone, 837-5122; email, dbrown@cherokeescout.com; or on X @daviddBstroh.