The Grayson County Humane Society, SPCA has been formed and the first item of business is the Grayson County Animal Shelter. Concerned residents have joined together to help improve conditions at the shelter. Inadequate shelter, to little food, no size separation of dogs and filth, including feces in the kennels, have been reported.

The society would like to help seek donations for the benefit of the shelter. They offered to apply for grant money through the Department of Agriculture. The Humane Society would like to see the pet licensing program enforced and periodic special clinics on spaying and neutering. They believe more animals would be adopted if the shelter hours were expanded and the animals in a more attractive facility.

Improvements at the shelter were approved in October to start as soon as other projects were finished. The facility was already scheduled to be expanded allowing the animals more room for better separation.

The Humane Society offered to volunteer to clean, feed, bathe, and show the animals to help increase adoption and make the facility more livable for the animal. Mayor Thomason and Judge Executive Gary Logsdon were on hand, as well as shelter director Layman Hayes, to answer questions and inform of the possibilities of help.

Members of the society will need training in how to handle the animals around shelter guests. In the meantime the society can start taking donations. Donations can assume the form of stainless steal bowls and dog food.

If some dog food was donated, a larger amount of the governmental funds could be spent on more improvements.

Also the society can start an education program for the county residents to learn about the proper care of animals.

Society members were more than willing to volunteer some Saturday hours to keeping the shelter open for adoption. The shelter is currently open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The city is more than willing to work with the Humane Society to improve the shelters conditions.

Hopefully with the cooperation of both sides the city and county will be able to diminish the number of animals that must be put down and increase the number of animals that go to good, caring homes.

Hayes reported 1,109 dogs have gone through the shelter since January 1st, 2002. Of those animals 34.9% were dropped off. It seems public education will be very helpful in improving conditions at the shelter.