Amory Humane Society ends contract with the city of Amory
The Amory Humane Society held negotiations with the city of Amory to no avail, ending their contract for lack of funding.
AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Amory Humane Society has had its share of hardships, overcrowding, underfunding, and even an EF-3 tornado in March of 2023 that wrecked its previous facility.
But now they’re trying something different to keep their doors open and help animals in need.
The mission of the humane society is to help as many animals as they possibly can through programs like sheltering, spaying, and neutering, and providing monetary assistance to families who temporarily can’t provide for their animals.
But that mission is under threat as their economic stability hangs in the balance.
Like many animal shelters in the Southeast, the Amory Humane Society is having to shutter its doors due to a lack of funding and an influx of animals.
The nonprofit organization has contracted with the city of Amory to take in every animal the city’s animal control brings them.
The current contract gives the shelter $55,000 a year, which they say isn’t enough to keep up with the demand they’re seeing.
Closing their shelter is a devastating loss to the area said Leigh Ann Hubbard, the humane societies secretary-treasurer.
“That’s a huge blow to this area,” Hubbard said. “We’re one of the very few rescue operations remaining in this area. It’s going to be really bad out there for animals, and for the people who had them dumped on their property, and who can’t afford to keep their own animals and things like that.”
Misty Daniels, the Amory Humane Society executive director said not knowing what’s going to happen is hard.
“Not knowing what’s going to happen, where they’re going to go, where they’re going to be, (or) if they’re going to suffer,” Daniels said. “But I feel like starting over fresh at the grassroots of the issue and trying to educate and help the community and understanding what needs to be done to fix the problem.”
The EF-3 tornado that hit Amory in March of 2023 exacerbated the issues the shelter was already facing, but it also made them get creative with how they can help animals in need.
With the lack of a place for the animals to go, the shelter began distributing animals to organizations around the country who have high adoption rates.
This model is a part of how they plan to continue moving forward.
The Humane Society will continue to focus on spaying and neutering and helping in other ways.
But, they will no longer have a physical shelter.
Instead, it will rely on local fostering and taking animals out of state.
Hubbard shared why everyone at the humane society is still working to help animals despite all the hardships.
“The animals need us. Who else is going to do it? We know that people care and we see that every time we ask for help,” Hubbard said. “But it’s a passion, it’s a drive, it’s in our hearts to help make life better for animals around here.”
Daniels said the work is about not leaving any animal behind.
“In 22 years of experience it’s turned into a lifetime of rescue,” Daniels said. “Saving as many as you can as often as you can, and not leaving anybody behind.”
The shelter said it has increased its intake by 35% in two years but has been able to keep its’ no-kill status through hard work and the support of people who care.
The humane society is open to creative new ideas from the city, or contracts from other municipalities.
But for now, it will lean on the community for help.
Daniels said she hopes that one day they will be able to have a shelter again.
“We still get more animals every year and that’s not fixing the problem or the solution,” Daniels said. “So it makes me very emotional and devastated knowing that we’re going to have to say no. But eventually, we won’t have to say no.”
Hubbard said the support of individuals is what will keep their organization around.
“What we can always remember is that each one of us can do one thing, we can do something, and we will all add up to a vast army of creating something wonderful and life-changing,” Hubbard said. “We just have to keep going. Stay with us. Stick with us.”
The Amory Humane Society says you can help by donating money and supplies at Amoryshelter.com.
The humane society says their phone number and website will remain the same for anybody who needs the assistance of their organization.
