Highland County Humane Society Offers Resources and Upcoming Opportunities for Pets and Caregivers

Winter can be a tough time on pets and their caregivers, but there are some upcoming events for folks to receive assistance or to help out. Corena Huffman from the Highland County Humane Society has more information on these local opportunities.

She says, “We have some limited, but free spay/neuter services for Highland County residents’ dogs and cats, including feral or barn cats. That service is provided over at the Anicira Veterinary Center in Harrisonburg. We do offer free transportation to and from for Highland County residents.”

Next month, students will be getting involved to help out the area’s furry friends. Ms. Huffman continues: “The month of February at Highland Elementary School, the children’s classes will be competing to see how many pennies, or how much change, each class can collect in the February month period towards our Pennies for Paws program, which benefits Highland County Humane Society, its foster pets, and our community members’ animals.”

Money from Pennies for Paws goes to buying zsupplies, but folks can also donate items that are used on a daily basis directly to the Highland County Humane Society. Ms. Huffman says, “We go through a lot of supplies, anything from dog and cat food to cat litter, bleach, paper towels, laundry detergent, copy paper, stamps, those sorts of things, fuel, gas cards are very beneficial to get animals to and from.”

In the case of harsh weather conditions, Ms. Huffman has further advice and information on resources. She says, “During inclement weather, extreme cold or extreme hot, it’s important to bring your pet inside. If they need to remain outside, to make sure that there dog house or box is insulated and has some kind of bedding, preferably straw or something that doesn’t absorb any moisture. There’s several groups that offer straw, including Highland County Humane Society. You can pick it up here in town at the Co-op. If you can not keep your dog inside and need to surrender or relinquish your dog during bad weather, Augusta Dog Adoptions will take in outdoor dogs that need to be re-homed, and they can be reached at 540-396-3666. We also lend out crates or carriers for you to bring your pet inside during inclement weather. We can be reached several ways: on the telephone at 540-908-9152, email is info@highlandcountyhumanesociety.org, or on Facebook at “Highland Humane.”