Animal Crackers

Fall 2012

Board Members

Spay/Neuter GrantAt the Humane Society, we believe that the way to most positively impact pet overpopulation in the Midlands and to decrease intakes at area shelters is to spay or neuter animals and pets. And this summer, through a $10,000 grant from The Animal Mission and a $10,000 grant from The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the Humane Society was able to offer free spay and neuter surgeries to targeted Lexington County residents. The results were amazing. In just a few days, the Humane Society had booked more than 250 spay/neuter surgeries for pet owners who otherwise may not have been able to afford these much needed surgeries. We know these surgeries will make a positive difference in pet overpopulation and we’ve also been able to educate many pet owners on the value of spaying or neutering.

Additional funds have been released and, in October, the Humane Society will again be offering free spay/neuter surgeries for selected zip codes in Lexington County!

The eligible zip codes are as follows:29006, 29033, 29053, 29123, 29160, 29169, and 29172.

We have been asked many times, why are the free spay & neuter surgeries limited to these specific zip codes? These areas were selected based on information obtained from the US Census Bureau identifying the number of households in these areas with income below the poverty level. These are also areas with a higher incidence of animals surrendered to shelters and/or running loose.

The Humane Society strives to keep our costs as low as possible, and our regular published prices are the lowest in the state. If it were possible, we would do all surgeries for free; however, that is impractical and impossible. We continue to seek additional financial support to help us offset our costs and to continue our ability to offer surgeries at the lowest price possible. As funds are made available, we will offer additional promotions and offers of reduced price surgeries.

Our most sincere thanks go out to The Animal Mission and the ASPCA for making these surgeries possible.

From Tragedy to Triumph

Four years ago the Humane Society of the Midlands embarked upon a journey. One that began in the face of great suffering and tragedy for a large group of defenseless horses. The story has villains and heroes. It has battles won and battles lost. It has death and it has new life. Most importantly, it tells of a community that came together in the face of a horrific crime to support the efforts to save the lives of these abused horses and to right the wrongs that had been done to them.

It was March of 2008 when the Humane Society took possession of 49 Arabian horses. The confiscation came as a result of an investigation into animal cruelty and neglect by Richland County and Georgia law enforcement officials, and the ultimate arrest of three family members charged with a combined 61 counts of animal cruelty and neglect.

It is difficult to find the words to describe the condition of the horses, but the photos below that were taken on the day the horses were seized by the Humane Society can speak for themselves.

beyond South Carolina. The efforts were gratifying to the Humane Society, whose resources quickly began to feel the strain of the cost of providing extensive medical treatment and housing for the remaining 47 horses.

Because the horses were considered “wards of the state” they could not be offered for adoption in the two years that the court case went through the proper channels. During that time, the horses healed. Their physical and emotional scars were slowly erased by the care and nutrition they were receiving. As the horses became healthier, the herd was blessed with seven foals over those years.

In the Summer of 2010, the court proceedings finally came to a close. The Humane Society was now free to find suitable homes for the horses. It appeared that the long road was getting shorter. The Summer of 2010, however, marked the beginning of our downturned economy. Not only were people not looking to take on new horses, many were finding it difficult to care for those they already had!

It has now been almost two years since the horses became available for adoption, and it is through the tireless work of the Humane Society and one board member in particular, Jill Kuppens, that the “herd” is now down to 13 remaining horses. All of the adoptive homes and owners were scrutinized and all have been success stories. There have been miracles of horses reunited with long-ago owners, and many tears of joy.

It has been estimated that the Humane Society has spent nearly half a million dollars on the rehabilitation and care of the horses since this case began in 2008. The cost continues to strain budgets, as it is estimated that the cost to care for the remaining 13 horses is approximately $3,000 per month. These times are difficult for all, and the continued support of the community as the Humane Society seeks out adoptive families for the remaining horses is still greatly needed and appreciated.

For those horses now in their “forever homes” and those who are thriving while awaiting the right families to come along, this IS a success story. It is the best kind of story that ends with good overtaking evil. The success can be seen in the deep pools of the horses’ eyes, and felt in the hearts of those who came together as a community and can say “We Did It”.

Sadly, these were some of the lucky ones. Some horses did not make it. Shallow graves were found on the property from horses that passed from emaciation. Despite the best efforts of a local equine veterinarian, two more passed within days of being rescued – they were just too far gone to respond to treatment.

The road ahead would be rough. Aside from dealing with the immediate issues of health and lodging for these horses, there would be legal proceedings to deal with. One of the primary goals of the Humane Society is to fight animal cruelty and neglect and to see that violators are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and they knew this would be a long battle ahead.

With the help of local and national media working together with the Humane Society and law enforcement, there was an outpouring of financial and moral support that went well

The Humane Society’s Continuing Labor of Love for a Group of Abused & Neglected Horses

At the Humane Society, we rely upon volunteers for so many things. This year, the Humane Society is pleased to recognize Elisabeth Bischofberger, a volunteer with a heart of gold for her support of our annual See Spot Run 5K.

At our annual meeting, Elisabeth, who works by day for Colonial Life, was named volunteer of the year. Her tireless support of the Humane Society through See Spot Run

began in 2010 as she served as volunteer coordinator for our first See Spot Run event. In 2011, Elisabeth acted as race director and chair of the planning committee. She was instrumental in bringing other young professionals as volunteers for the race and in raising funds for the Humane Society. In 2012, Elisabeth served as See Spot Run race director again and, because of her commitment to our mission, she’s helped us raise over $35,000 for the humane treatment of animals.

We are so grateful to Elisabeth for her service to the Humane Society and look forward to having her chair See Spot Run 2013.

Thanks, Elisabeth!

Elisabeth Bischofberger Named Humane Society’s Volunteer of the Year

Many thanks to everyone who participated in our third annual See Spot Run 5K run/walk this past May. Over 320 runners, walkers and four-legged friends joined us for the race, which raised $20,000 for the Humane Society’s low-cost spay/neuter clinic and our animal cruelty prevention programs. Special thanks to our friends at Nelson Mullins, South Carolina State Credit Union, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, First Community Bank and all of our sponsors for making this event possible.

Mark your calendars for

May 18, 2013 for another great See Spot Run!

Meet Your SurgeonDr. Kevin Allison, the Humane Society’s on-staff veterinarian, recently passed the 20,000 mark for spay or neuter surgeries he’s completed since he began working with the HSPCA in 2008. Because of the great work he’s done for this organization and animal welfare in the Midlands, we invite you to get to know Dr. Allison, who graduated from the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 2003.

Q: You’ve recently completed 20,000 spay or neuter surgeries for the Humane Society. How does that feel?A: It feels good to know how much has been done to help control the pet population, but also tough to know that this is only a very small dent that we have made.

Q: Do you have pets of your own? Cats? Dogs? How many, and what are their names?A: I currently have two mixed-breed dogs, Jasper and Jonas.

Q: What do you like most about your job?A: Surgery has always been one of my passions of veterinary medicine and I also enjoy working alongside the wonderful staff that we have at the HSPCA.

Q: Is there anything that surprises pet owners about having their pets spayed or neutered at the Humane Society?A: I think people are surprised by the level of care that their pets receive when they come to us. We strive to give each pet the same care that we would if it were our own pet.

Q: What’s the most important thing you can do for your pets post-surgery?A: The most important thing is to keep your pet confined with limited activity after surgery. Almost all complications arise from animals becoming too active, too soon after surgery. Animals do not experience the same level of pain that people would in the same situation, so it is easy to think that they are feeling good enough to return to their normal activity. If they have reduced activity for 7-10 days post-op, the chance of complications reduces dramatically.

Q: Outside of your work at the Humane Society, what do you enjoy doing?A: When I am not working at the HSPCA I enjoy spending time with my wife and three boys, camping, backpacking, and astronomy.

NON-PROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 1127

COLUMBIA, SC

Crisp, cool air. Back-to-school time. Football season. Fall is an exciting time, and your pet’s probably looking forward to a break from the South Carolina summertime heat. Keep your best friend safe with these tips:

Pet Safety Tips

: The use of rodenticides, which are highly toxic to pets, increases as rodents seek warmer temperatures indoors. If you must use these products, do so with extreme caution and put them in places inaccessible to pets.

: Many people choose fall for changing their car’s engine coolant. Chemicals in coolants are highly toxic, and spills should be cleaned immediately. Consider switching to propylene glycol-based coolants, which aren’t completely nontoxic, but they are much less toxic than other coolants.

: Consider giving pets that exercise heavily outdoors or live outdoors more food to help them generate body heat. Make sure horses and outdoor animals have access to clean water that isn’t frozen.

Our HSPCA board members work hard for our organization, not to mention for animal-welfare in the Midlands. Welcome to our newest board members!

Stacie Clark serves as student services manager for the University of South Carolina College of Nursing while studying speech pathology at Columbia College. Stacie also volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, March of Dimes and the National Kidney Foundation and regularly helps her father care for his rescue cats and dogs.

Keller Foster is an attorney with McDonald, McKenzie, Rubin, Miller & Lybrand, LLP. Keller and his wife have two dogs.

Todd Lewis is managing partner of Palmetto Computer Labs and creator of POSSCON, one of the largest open-source conferences on the East Coast. He also serves on the Columbia Sertoma Club board.

Board Members