One of the best aspects of the Christmas season is the spirit of generosity it inspires.
For charitable organizations and community programs that benefit those in need, Christmas is a time when they can count on our citizens to respond.
There are innumerable such organizations in our community, all worthy of our support. We hope you will give as generously as your situation permits and that you orient your giving in a way that recognizes the important work of these groups.
Let’s face it: Garage sales are full of Christmas gifts exchanged between friends and family, and many a Christmas present languishes unneeded and unwanted, collecting dust in a closet or drawer.
But this is never the case with donations we make to our charities. These gifts matter and are used to diminish the suffering of our less fortunate neighbors.
Although we do not advocate for one charity over another, we do call your attention to one that may have escaped your attention this holiday season: The Columbus Lowndes Humane Society.
It has been a difficult December for this particular non-profit. In the first nine days of the month, the CLHS was inundated with 100 dogs and cats who were either surrendered by their owners or turned in strays by animal control officers. As a result, the facility has reached its kennel capacity of 150.
While the staff has worked tirelessly in its efforts to move some of the animals to adoption and rescue groups in the North, where the demand for pets is high and the supply low, an unpleasant fact emerges.
The grim reality is that, if the current situation persists, some, perhaps many, of these otherwise perfectly fine pets will have to be euthanized. This is not an easy task for the CLHS staff, whose love of animals cannot be seriously questioned.
If this is to be avoided, the CLHS needs our help. There are three practical ways the community can come to the rescue.
First, if you have given serious thought to adding a cat or dog to your home – and only if you have given it serious thought – we strongly urge you to adopt a pet from the CLHS. The adoption fees ($65 for dogs, $35 for cats) are low, especially when you consider you are getting a pet that has been spayed/neutered and screened for medical conditions and temperament.
Second, with the shelter full, there is a desperate need for dog/cat food and cat litter. Donations of these items are tax-deductible and a bag of food or cat litter, while not costly, is critically important.
Finally, if you own a pet, be a responsible pet owner. One of the most important obligations of a pet owner is having your dog or cat spayed or neutered. Sadly, in the South, that is a responsibility many pet owners neglect. The result is the kind of over-population we see at the CLHS. There is no reason our animal shelters should be overrun with unwanted animals. That, too, is a form of animal cruelty.
We the spirit of generosity Christmas inspires abounds in all of us and that, as we give, we do not neglect the work of the Columbus Lowndes Humane Society.
To make a donation or start the adoption process, call the CLHS at 662-327-3107.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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