Humane Society of Pocahontas County also provides Veterinary services

The building housing the Humane Society of Pocahontas County is more than just a gathering place for the Humane Society members – it also provides a vital service to county residents as a veterinary office, according to Humane Society Board member and Treasurer Trish McNull.

“Monday’s nine to four and we have Dr. Stacey Tawney and on Wednesday’s from 10 to 3, we have Dr. Julie Gibson,” she says. “Sometimes they’re not here that late if they have a lot of farm calls.”

Both Dr. Tawney and Dr. Gibson work out of the Frankford Veterinary Hospital and all of their surgery is currently done at that location.  One of the primary expenditures of the HSPC is spaying and neutering, a critical step in preventing unwanted litters of animals.

“Anybody with a dog or cat, there is no limit to the number of vouchers we will write,” says McNull. “I have written over a thousand this year [2018] alone; call our number which is [304] 799-6767 and leave a message.  And then I retrieve the messages and call you back within a couple of days and write the voucher for you. It usually saves about half over just walking in the door of the vets.”

Spaying and neutering also helps prevent an increase in the feral cat population in the county.

“That’s an area we could really use some volunteer help, particularly from Green Bank north,” says McNull. “And we have some people on tap who do help us, but it’s time consuming, because it means not just trapping the animals, but also driving them to the vet.  TNR – Trap, Neuter, Return is with the understanding that we return them where they were and a human will take responsibility for feeding them, providing water and year round shelter.”

“And this can be for three cats that live in your yard, or for 20 cats in your business and it’s a wonderful non-toxic rodent control method.”

From the Humane Society, it’s a short drive to the Pocahontas County animal shelter, located in the old ARC building on Second Avenue in Marlinton.  (dogs barking)

“The Shelter is…it’s an interesting organization,” says McNull. “Since it’s funded through the [Pocahontas County] Sheriff’s department, it’s part of the Drug Court program.  As a matter of fact the two ladies, who run the cat part of the shelter and have made it into such a wonderfully successful program, are both graduates of the Drug Court program.  And their love of the animals, their involvement with it and supervising the people who come in after them and their own belief in the program has just turned their lives around and they are these wonderful successful people.”

Trish says you don’t have to become a member of the Humane Society to help with their ongoing mission.

“This year we’re going to try to establish ‘Friends of the Humane Society’ which means people can come forward and help us in whatever way they can,” she says. “There are all sorts of things that people can do and if anybody is interested, call and leave your contact information on our number, [304]799-6767 or jot us a note on Facebook.”