The Humane Society of Greater Dayton has been helping the people and pets in our community since 1902. As the area’s largest and most-established no-kill animal welfare agency, we are devoted to the animals in our community.
Per the recommendations of the Ohio Department of Health, CDC and WHO, the Humane Society of Greater Dayton has made the difficult decision to close its main shelter and the MeowZa Cat Boutique until further notice. The shelter took to Facebook this week to share some ways that we can support their animals AND look after our own pets during this time!
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Cruelty & Neglect Reports & Emergencies
Although our shelter is closed, we still have a duty to protect the animals in our community. If you have a cruelty or neglect report, we ask that you contact our humane agents at 1-855-PETS-911 or fill out a report online at www.hsdayton.org/report.
If you have an emergency and need medical assistance, contact either Dayton Care Center at (937) 428-0911 or MedVet at (937) 293-2714.
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Stray Animals
Because of the uncertainty, national animal welfare organizations are recommending shelters lower the number of animals in our care. Per their recommendation, we are suspending the intake of non-emergency animals such as stray cats, kittens and owner-surrendered cats. We realize that we are entering “Kitten Season” and are quickly working on additional resources to help community members who find kittens and/or cats.
In order to prevent overcrowding within shelters, let’s get the community involved! If you find a stray cat, we ask that you foster it until we can reopen.
If you find a stray or community cat that has an emergency or needs medical assistance, you will need to contact either Dayton Care Center at (937) 428-0911 or MedVet at (937) 293-2714.
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Fostering Shelter Animals
To help alleviate the stress of so many animals on a limited staff, we are asking anyone who is interested in fostering an animal in our shelter during this shut-down to please contact us at (937) 262-5937. This includes adult cats, adult dogs, kittens and rabbits.
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Donations
This is a time of uncertainty for us all. Your first priority should always be yourself and your family. However, with this shutdown, we are estimating the loss of nearly $285,000 at the Humane Society of Greater Dayton. As a nonprofit that relies solely on donations, this will greatly impact our organization, but it is something that we again feel is in the best interest of our community, our staff and our animals. If you do have the opportunity and means to give, we encourage you to donate on our Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/humanesocietydayton or by visiting www.hsdayton.org/donate. You gift stays right in our community and will help our shelter continue to provide lifesaving care as we all work to get through this difficult time.
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Be Prepared as a Pet Owner
• Wash Your Hands – Currently, the CDC says that the coronavirus can only be transmitted from person-to-person. However, with news developing each day it is always good to practice basic hygiene practices when you interact with your animals. Not only should you be washing your hands throughout the day, but you should also wash them any time you have direct contact with an animal or animal food and supplies.
• Designate a Caregiver – If for some reason you are unable to properly care for your animals, have a person in place who can step in for the short-term and help you properly care for your pets. This could be a friend, family member, pet sitter or neighbor. By creating this plan, you are keeping your pets safe and also lowering the number of animals coming into a shelter environment.
• Get Pet Supplies – Yes, there has been a number of shortages lately, but we recommend that you have an emergency kit in place that includes a 30-day supply of all medicines your pet takes (if any) as well as at least a two to three week supply of food.
• Organize Information – If you do have a caregiver that needs to help with your pet, it is good to give them all of your pet’s information in one place. Create a kit to help your caregiver make the transition easier on your pet. Include in this kit all medicines your pet is taking, food preferences, behavioral tendencies and veterinarian and emergency contact information. You can also take it one step further and include personality information on your pet. Does he or she have a favorite toy? Do they have certain habits or training? Be as detailed as you can.
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We continue to appreciate your love for the animals, support and understanding. We as a community have been through a lot in the past 12 months, but with quick, decisive measures and all of us being responsible humans, we will get through this crisis even stronger! Our staff is trained to manage disease control and we are confident that we have plans in place to care for our community. We recognize that everyone is in a state of discomfort at this time, but we want to thank all of our community for helping the animals at the Humane Society of Greater Dayton. We value you. Our hope is that all people and pets stay healthy during this difficult time. It is the Humane Society of Greater Dayton’s responsibility to do what is best for all of us because we too are #DaytonStrong. Together, we will get through this!
