Thank You to Kelly Graham

The Humane Society would like to thank Kelly Graham for her service as Director of Public Relations for the past two years.  She did a fantastic job educating the Midlands on animal welfare.  She was the key person in starting the wildly successful Pet Soup Community Program at Harvest Hope Food Bank.  Kelly is continuing her work in animal welfare with the Baltimore HSPCA.  Please join me in wishing her all the best with her new opportunity!

Howlin' for Halloween is still going on...

In October 2008, the HSPCA's Spay/Neuter Clinic held a promotion to provide spay surgeries for female cats called Howlin’ for Halloween. That promotion was so successful, we decided to hold it again this year!

Howlin’ for Halloween will be offering half-price surgeries for female cats throughout the month of October! The cost will be $20 per female cat.

Howlin’ for Halloween is open to the public. Requirements for female cats are: they must within our regular guidelines; animals must be in good health to obtain surgery and will be at the discretion of the attending veterinarian. Applications can be filled out online or by coming to The Humane Society Office located at 121 Humane Lane, Columbia, SC 29209. Clients do not have to live in the Midlands area to qualify.

HSPCA at Tractor Supply & Microchipping Clinic!

The Humane Society will be out at the brand new Tractor Supply in Irmo (located at 1003 Dutch Fork Rd.) on Friday and Saturday, October 16-17, 2009!  On Friday from 11am-4pm, we will be educating the public on animal welfare issues and the importance of spay/neuter for your cats and dogs.  We will also have representatives from Howlmore Animal Sanctuary showcasing animals that need adopting! 

On Saturday from 9am-2pm, bring the kids to decorate pumpkins with animal faces, a hamburger and hot dog cookout, pictures with your pet for a $10 donation as well as a Microchipping Clinic from 11am-2pm.  The cost is only $20 for the microchipping (it's cheaper than getting one from your vet)!  We'll also have animals for adoption from Susan Bennett's Rescue.  Come out, and hang out with us!  We'd love to see you!

Tune in to WLTX Channel 19 Crimestoppers!

Next Friday, October 16th, tune in to Channel 19 at 7pm to catch the HSPCA's CEO, Wayne Brennessel, talking about the importance of reporting animal abuse.  The HSPCA works animal cruelty cases statewide with the help of the community and people like you reporting incidents that they have witnessed.  We employ a full-time Cruelty Investigator, Eddie O'Cain, to take care of these matters when they arise.

Pet Costume Contest

Get in the Halloween Spirit with the Humane Society!
The HSPCA presents a:
Pet Costume Contest!

The HSPCA will be partnering with Chick-fil-A of Lexington and Pupcakes Pet Boutique to hold a Pet Costume Contest! Dress up your pet in their best costume & get judged by our prestigious panel of judges! Bring your kids in their favorite costumes, too, because we’ll also be offering pictures with your pet for a donation of $10! We’ll have treats for your pet and your kids! Each contestant will receive a FREE stuffed Chick-fil-A Cow and a coupon for Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets just for participating!  Please email krenfroe@humanesc.org to register for this event, and notate how many pets you will be entering.

When: Saturday, October 31st

Time: 8:30am-11am

Where: Chick-fil-A of Lexington
5560 Sunset Blvd. (in front of Wal*Mart)

Details: Registration at 8:30am. Contest starts at 9:00am and will end at 10:30am. Judging will be at 10:30am with results announced by 11am.

Prizes: $50 Pupcakes gift certificate, bandana or custom made tee (depending on the dog’s size) from Pupcakes Pet Boutique and a FREE chicken nugget tray from Chick-fil-A!

Judges: Chick-fil-A Cow
Wayne Brennessel, HSPCA CEO
Marie Lipton, Pupcakes Pet Boutique Owner

Get Your K-9 Chic Fixed in November!

This year, the HSPCA will be offering half-price surgeries for female dogs throughout the month of November! The cost will be $35 per female dog.

Get Your K-9 Chic Fixed is open to the public. Requirements for female dogs are: they must be 7 years old at maximum; must weigh at least 3 pounds; rabies and distemper vaccines required, but can be provided at the time of surgery for $18; animals must be in good health to obtain surgery and will be at the discretion of the attending veterinarian. Applications can be filled out online or by coming by The Humane Society Office located at 121 Humane Lane, Columbia, SC 29209. Clients do not have to live in the Midlands area to qualify.

Help Put an End to Shark Finning

From the ASPCA:

The ban on shark finning needs more support in the U.S. Senate.  Take action now to help end this cruel practice.

Shark finning is a cruel and wasteful practice that involves cutting the fins off millions of sharks (to satisfy the demand for shark-fin soup) and throwing the mutilated animals back into the ocean to bleed to death. While Congress passed the Shark Finning Prohibition Act of 2000, the law has done little to stop the cruelty. Unfortunately, due to loopholes and a complicated enforcement procedure, sharks are still suffering this gruesome death and shark populations continue to steeply decline.

Fortunately, federal legislation to address this issue is advancing. Congress is currently considering the Shark Conservation Act of 2009 (S. 850/H.R. 81), which would make it illegal to remove fins from a shark at sea and to have unattached fins on any vessel under U.S. jurisdiction.

This legislation has passed the U.S. House of Representatives and now awaits action in the Senate. Support for this bill is growing in the Senate, but your help is needed to continue the push. We need more U.S. Senators to sign on as co-sponsors of this critical legislation.

TAKE ACTION
Please make brief, polite phone calls to your two U.S. Senators and ask them to co-sponsor the Shark Conservation Act.

Senator Lindsey O. Graham (202) 224-5972 and Jim DeMint (202) 224-6121

When you call, remember to leave your name and address so it is clear that you are a constituent. You can say:

"Hello, my name is [your name] and I live in [your town]. As a constituent, I'm calling to urge [senator's name] to co-sponsor S. 850, the Shark Conservation Act, to protect sharks against finning, where fins are cut off millions of sharks and the live animals are thrown back into the water. Shark populations are in steep decline and this cruelty must end. Thank you."

After making your calls, please send a follow-up email to reiterate your concerns for sharks.

Thanks for taking action to protect sharks, and for all you do for animals!

Sincerely,
Mike Markarian
President
Humane Society Legislative Fund

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