Fall 2021 Children's Sneak Previews

Windber Students Organize Busload Of Goods For Humane Society

Hundreds of bags of food, toys, blankets, litter, pet beds, treats and other animal items were dropped off Friday at the Humane Society of Cambria County as part of an effort by Windber Area High School students to lend a hand.

A Mlaker Student Transportation school bus – with every seat overflowing with goods – arrived at the Richland Township shelter, and students and Humane Society staff created a chain to unload it.

"This is a lot," shelter board member Lauri Chose said. "This might be the biggest donation record in terms of supplies."

The collection began because Chose is friends with Windber Area High School Principal Kimberly Moore and the pair have frequently talked about the struggles the Humane Society has dealt with regarding lack of supplies, overcrowding and local animal hoarding.

Moore reached out to school Leo Club adviser Kristen Rogers and other clubs to start the work, including a friendly district-wide competition among all grades to gather supplies.

Richland and Forest Hills school districts were invited to help out as well and did so.

Students contacted numerous businesses in and around Windber, who they said gladly agreed to help out.

"In Windber, we come together as a community where there's a need," Moore said. "Whatever anyone could give, they just stepped it up."

Mlaker donated the bus to collect the items throughout the past month, and on Thursday it was used to pick up other goods before the final drop-off.

Moore said she worked with Humane Society staff to get a list of prioritized items and that's what they collected.

"Knowing how much the students and administration and staff and community came together was fulfilling," Moore said.

For Windber senior Libby Folmar, helping the animals was personal for her.

She said she has three dogs at home that she adores, so assisting the shelter meant a lot.

"This is awesome," Folmar said. "I really wanted it to be successful. ... We wanted to help these animals as much as possible."

When the roughly 45-foot-long bus was finally filled, the students were in awe of the generosity of the community.

"It's just such a beautiful thing to witness," Folmar said.

Fellow senior Jadaa Dabbs agreed.

She said she was shocked by the support from the businesses, students and others.

Dabbs added that it's nice to help the animals and she was glad to be part of this effort.

Those at the Humane Society of Cambria County were just as thankful.

"The support has been overwhelming," shelter Executive Director Kelli Ruiz said.

"This will help us get through the winter months."

Prior to dealing with recent hoarding situation regarding Chihuahuas, the shelter's store room was nearly bare, Ruiz said.

Now, the space is overflowing with supplies and more so because of the school donations.

"It just shows how much the community cares about these animals," Ruiz said.

As an added gesture of generosity, at least seven Windber students offered their time after school to become canine handlers and will now serve as volunteers at the Cambria County shelter.

Joshua Byers is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 814-532-5054. Follow him on Twitter @Journo_Josh.

The Humane Society Is In Dire Need Of Fosters. One El Cajon Family Is Stepping Up

The Lizarraga family home in El Cajon is full. There are two adults, five children, nine finches, two parakeets, two rabbits, two guinea pigs, one chinchilla, six dogs, two cats and a goldfish — that's 25 if you're counting — plus 12 foster puppies and their mama.

"So lots of animals, lots of cages to clean, lots of picking up poop and that is the kids' job and they do it very well," Karen Lizarraga said. "I just think it's such a healthy way for kids to grow up, lots of responsibility, lots of lives depending on them, and they do a lot of hard work."

Over the last two years the family has fostered more than 70 animals. She said the children's interest in fostering began after they adopted Ozzie the Pitbull from the San Diego Humane Society in 2022.

"It's one of the only ways that us as kids can really be a part of helping with the humane society," said 16-year-old Olivia Lizarraga.

The family playfully named their most recent fosters, "the baker's dozen." There's mama, Donut and her puppies, named after popular donuts and toppings, like Boston Creme and Chocolate.

"Twelve puppies is a lot. It's a lot of poop. It's a lot of cleaning. It's them crying and wanting to go out to go potty during the night. It's sometimes diarrhea, sometimes throwing up, sometimes hard things. A lot of people don't want to do hard things and I say, 'bring it on,'" Karen Lizarraga said.

The humane society has more puppies in care in December than they ever have before, according to spokesperson Nina Thompson. There is a "huge need" currently for foster families to help care for an influx of animals in the shelter, she said.

"Our biggest needs are with mama dogs and puppies, as well as large dogs," Thompson said. "We see unwanted litters show up at our doors every day. It is actually one of the top reasons people tell us when they give up their pets."

The cost of living and veterinary care cost are other reasons people give when surrendering their pets to the humane society.

"These animals have no one else," Karen said. "It's not their fault that they're in this situation and they deserve as much love and companionship and we can't help all the animals in the shelter, but we can help some."

She said her water and electricity bills have increased while taking in all their foster animals, but they get help paying for the animals' basic needs.

"The humane society gives you all the food, all the formula, all the vet care. So they go back into the humane society every two weeks and they have whatever treatments they need done while they're there. So all their shots, all their flea and tick prevention, all of their deworming, all of that," she said.

Thompson said the information they learn about an animal in a home environment helps the organization find good matches for the animals with potential adopters.

"If someone is looking for a dog who is good with cats or vice versa, we may learn that information from a foster and can make a match much faster. We learn about energy levels, social behaviors. If they are quiet, housebroken, good with children, if they like car rides, hiking, swimming, if they sleep through the night etc. The informational value we receive from foster families is truly priceless," Thompson said.

People interested in fostering animals can fill out an application on the humane society's website and take a few online training courses to qualify.

Wayne County To Provide Over $689,000 Towards New Humane Society Facility

LYONS — The Humane Society of Wayne County got a big boost in September in its effort to build a new animal shelter. That's when billionaire philanthropist and Paychex founder Tom Golisano gave the organization $1.5 million.

The award was among many Golisano awarded to nonprofits throughout the region.

The Humane Society received more good news this week when the Board of Supervisors approved a resolution providing $689,438 toward the agency's project. The funding is included in the recently passed 2025 county budget.

The money is interest earned from the $17.5 million Wayne County received under the American Rescue Plan Act. The county has used the funding to help expand broadband and create its new Emergency Medical Services Department.

County Administrator Rick House said County Attorney Dan Connors determined the interest earnings could be used to help the Humane Society build a new shelter.

House noted that using ARPA interest earnings was the suggestion of County Treasurer Patrick Schmitt. After hearing a pitch at a Government Operations committee meeting earlier this year by Humane Society Director Mark Plyter, supervisors agreed to earmark the earnings for the shelter project.

Schmitt said the Humane Society is a worthy recipient.

"I had the thought after watching Mark Plyter's presentation at our Government Operations Committee meeting a few months ago," Schmitt said. "The ARPA money that was advanced to the county has been invested and earning interest, and the interest has no restrictions on it."

Schmitt added that "assisting the Humane Society with their new building fits with the plan we have had for our county ARPA funds since we received them by supporting projects that have impacts for the county as a whole. Residents from all over the county can adopt animals from the Humane Society or receive services from the new facility. There are many worthy organizations out there, but many only impact a small section of our county. Also, this interest has accumulated in the Capital Projects account, so this is not a direct tax levy expense."

Plyter expressed his appreciation.

"The Wayne County Board of Supervisors has shown their commitment to the citizens and animals in Wayne County by assisting the Humane Society of Wayne County in reaching its goal of $4.8 million to build a new shelter," he said in a statement. "Since 1984, the Humane Society of Wayne County has acted as a bridge between homelessness and forever homes for the thousands of animals who walk through our doors every year. We provide food, water, shelter, medical care and compassion for the animals in our care while we seek permanent placement for them with loving adopters. …We thank Wayne County for their foresight and compassion in moving us forward to becoming a more humane community and for helping to build a facility that all Wayne County residents can be proud of."

Plyter said a modern shelter is needed, noting that the current facility was retrofitted from an existing residential, ranch-type home in 1990.

"While much effort has been put forth into making the shelter as functional as possible, the structure was not originally designed for sheltering animals," he said. "For this reason, operating out of the current facility poses an array of challenges. The facility is being outpaced in terms of modern animal sheltering standards, increasing demands of our Wayne County residents and evolving regulatory requirements, including the new New York State Shelter Standards Law, of which we will have to comply with but will not be able to in the current facility."

He said the expanded surgery clinic "will greatly improve our ability to assist all households in Wayne County," adding that the "ability to provide education to the citizens of Wayne County is non-existent right now. Having an area that can be utilized for providing education as well as in house classes, meetings, events, volunteer and foster trainings is imperative."

The new facility will provide improved noise abatement, he said, and "disease-containment features will significantly decrease stress and illness for shelter animals and make for a better visitor experience."

Other amenities with the new shelter: improved public parking, private adoption rooms, and a separate admission and adoption lobby to streamline the adoption and intake process.

Additionally, Plyter said the current facility does not allow for adequate noise abatement or sufficient containment of airborne illnesses, and it has an "undersized and outdated surgery area" that limits the types and number of procedures that can be performed. He also pointed to the lack of separation between intake and adoption services, inadequate visiting rooms, and a non-existent training room.

The current shelter is 1,840 square feet. The new facility will be approximately 9,800 square feet.

Besides the Golisano donation and the money from Wayne County, the Humane Society received a $500,000 state grant in 2023. The money was part of nearly $7.6 million earmarked for 21 animal shelters and humane societies across New York through the state Companion Animal Capital Fund, a competitive grant program that supports construction, renovation and expansion projects designed to enhance animal care and health and encourage adoptions for New York's dogs and cats.

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