The Top 2 Things That Help STHS Succeed
By: Kirk Arnold
A healthy community represents itself in many ways, and in St Tammany we enjoy a strong educational system, beautiful public outdoor spaces, healthy business economy, and a community is also represented by how well it takes care of its most vulnerable populations, our pets and animals.
At First Castle Federal Credit Union we see the St Tammany Humane Society is an integral part of this parish with its history of caring for our dogs and cats, and STHS represents the best in us by providing a no-kill refuge to hundreds and hundreds of animals each year. We also realize that St Tammany Humane Society has a lot of support from the community to make their work happen. There are so many factors supporting their efforts, but we recognize the 2 biggest things that help them succeed, which helps our community as a whole.
#1 Volunteers
STHS has about 200 animals at the shelter at any given time under normal circumstances. But times are not normal. Just in the last month, they have rescued hundreds of animals from around South Louisiana flooded areas, our larger community. In the last few weeks, they have doubled their normal intake and managed it impressively. Just in the last few weeks volunteers have helped collect hundreds of pets from flooded shelters around our state. Volunteer veterinarians and vet staff have helped the STHS vets spay or neuter hundreds of animals. They have found volunteer foster homes for so many dogs and cats. All of this was done through a strong network within our community. Without volunteers, we would all lose out on the great work they do right here where we live.
#2 Partnerships
Non-profits rely on partnerships with the business community. Those business partnerships can range from official, organized sponsorships to spontaneous, one-day donations and many relationships in between. First Castle Federal Credit Union is sponsoring the 2016 Unleashed! S.O.S. Rescue Gala Event. Sponsorships and events such as this are huge toward funding the heartworm treatments and the medicines, food and supplies, and everything that needed for a year of caring for so many. In a given year STHS averages about 1000 intakes. This year that number will be much higher, and business partnerships help to complete their mission.
The veterinary staff ofThree Rivers Animal Hospital consistently donates time, knowledge, and skills to helping and most recently helping so much with the Disaster Dogs .
Domino's Pizza and Times Grill Mandeville for donating a delicious and welcome lunch for staff and volunteers. This is a great example of the community helping the community - feeding the volunteers who are helping with the animals. Petsmart of Covington and Petsmart of Mandeville for donations - collecting and delivering supplies. And helping with adoption days. Practicing Stewardship When we as a community take care of our cats and dogs, our homeless pets, it shows a level of investment in our home and our lifestyles.
When we practice this stewardship, it shows our children and our fellow adults to have respect for all life, and that carries over into a lifetime of values that we want in our citizens and in our cities.