Local Humane Society helping with shortage in Northeast

The Humane Society of Faulkner County has been shipping hundreds of animals to northeast regions of the United States. Various rescue groups in the Northeast have been handling shipping costs. 

Shirley Jarman, FCHS board member, said the cost of shipping each animal is $115. Alpha Dog Transport and Peterson Transport are the two companies handling the shipping. Both companies have routes that include Arkansas and extend as far as Maryland. 

“Our animals do not go to shelters when we ship them. They go to individuals,” Jarman said. “They don’t have puppies like we do. That area has such great spay and neuter laws there’s no excess of animals. Here, we get 30 calls a day about stray and abandoned animals. Three years ago we got 15,000 calls, but we are a very small group, and our funding comes from fundraisers and donations only. We’re not funded by anyone. A lot of people think we get money from another Humane Society but each one is their own entity.” 

According to Alpha Dog’s Web site, animals are transported to their new homes in a large truck equipped with heating and cooling and volunteers cater to animals who have special dietary needs. 

“We hear back from people who receive our dogs and they love them. They blend in with the families and are a great match. We get e-mails with photos,” Jarman said. 

There are six people on the FCHS board and numerous volunteers. 

“Animal people need to get together and join so we can be a force. But there are a lot more rescue groups than there used to be. We need to spay and neuter the animals we have. That’s why we’ve opened the clinic. We do 15 to 20 animals a day. We need to adopt from shelters and rescue groups instead of breeders,” Jarman said. 

Jarman said to beware of breeders who will not let you see their facilities or want to deliver the animal to you at a separate meeting place. There are some responsible breeders according to Jarman, who are interested in keeping their breed alive and healthy. 

Jarman said they are addressing the problem of the pet population with their clinic and have programs for people who cannot afford to have their pets spayed or neutered. 

“Our prices are very reasonable and it costs less to have one healthy animal. It perpetuates the problem. Look in the paper and see how many animals are free.”

The FCHS maintains a thrift store, Companions Thrift and Gift, located at 2219 Washington Ave. in Conway. 

Funds raised help subsidize the clinic, Companions Spay and Neuter Clinic, located in Springhill. A veterinarian is available three or four times a week at the clinic, but they are unable to assist injured animals. 

“We are doing good just to keep the clinic going. We don’t have enough money to do that too,” Jarman said. Janette Dutt of Westport, Conn., adopted a Wheaten Terrier named Bigsby from FCHS in May. 

“I was very impressed with the drivers and the professionalism and organization of the program,” Dutt said. “They take pride in what they are doing and care about the animal’s well-being. They were great people to work with.” 

Judi Standridge is an adoption volunteer at FCHS and previously Bigsby’s foster mom. Dutt said she is happy with her new dog Bigsby and said, “Faulkner County should feel very fortunate to have Judi as a foster mom because she is pretty amazing. Judi described (Bigsby’s) personalit,y and there were no surprises. Everything she described about him was exact. I give them credit for being diligent.”