As summer is underway in Hernando County, the Humane Society of the Nature Coast seeks to bring more comfort and benefit to its four-legged residents, in continuing pursuit of its mission of bringing sunshine into the darkened lives of animals in need. The agency seeks to optimize the comfort of both animals and volunteers during the hotter months with the addition of air conditioning units, especially in fenced areas where the shelter’s dogs stay for short periods before going inside. The agency is located at 7200 Mobley Road, Brooksville.
“We are in need of portable AC units to cool these areas properly,” said Lori Bainum, the organization’s director. “Not only for the animals, but to keep staff and volunteers cooled off during the day.” Cash donations are also welcomed and needed at the shelter, in part to fund a doghouse consisting of a greatly expanded kennel space. Essentially doubling the space that the canines occupy as they wait for their forever homes.
“We need to expand the dog kennel, just as we did our cat shelter,” said Bainum. “This $1.2 million project will be an air-conditioned building with 36 runs, triple our capacity, an outside play area, spaying and neutering, a dog food prep area, a laundry room, and more. The more space we have, the more animals we can house.” Donations also are needed to help cover the cost of in-house spaying and neutering services. Bainum continued, “We hope to do more spaying and neutering in house and we need funds for emergency medical and veterinary services.”
In terms of material donations, everything from pet food to 33 gallon trash bags are needed currently at the shelter, as are rice socks or snuggle safes. Above all, the shelter needs people to adopt its animals. The week of June 24 alone, the shelter took in 16 puppies.
To inquire about adopting a pet at The Humane Society of the Nature Coast, please call Beth at (352) 248-736-1338 or visit https://humanerescue.org/shelter-services/. To donate to The Humane Society of the Nature Coast, visit https://humanerescue.org/give/. “When is it not a good idea to adopt?” No matter what kind of day you’ve had, your pets are so, so happy to see you,” stated Bainum.
