By By Sheila Blackmon/The Meridian Star
Jan.3, 2001
QUITMAN  A gift from a Clarke County couple has placed local Humane Society volunteers $5,000 closer to their goal of building an animal shelter in Lauderdale County.
Causeyville organizer Cheryl Walton received the check over the holiday weekend. The couple who wishes to remain anonymous gave the money because they hope it will encourage more people to donate money, Walton said.
District 3 Supervisor Craig Hitt, who is on a supervisors' committee with District 5 Supervisor Ray Boswell to find a solution to the county's stray animal problem, said the money "is not enough financial support" for supervisors to lease land to the organization for the shelter, but "it's a good start."
Walton said she appreciates the couple's generosity, and is planning her next moves.
Walton said volunteers are "coming out of the woodwork" with offers to help.
Meridian Community College's Phi Beta Lambda members have decided to construct the building as a spring project. A local man has agreed to finish the concrete. Walton said her husband, Ron, can do the plumbing and some of the electrical work. About 15 people pledged support at a meeting held last month, but Walton said she has not contacted them again.
She said she is getting a lot of dog and cat food donated but needs metal food and water bowls old pots and pans will do and bedding. She said chain-link fence has also been donated but she lacks hardware to make gates for the interior dog runs that will be constructed of concrete blocks.
The next Humane Society meeting is scheduled for Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. in the supervisors' boardroom at the Raymond P. Davis County Annex Building. Walton said the organization's officers and board members will be elected then, and various committees will be formed. She will also be updating her "needs list." She said at least two people experienced in computers and research will be there. They will be researching available grants to be discussed at a third meeting.
Sheila Blackmon is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail her at sblackmon@themeridianstar.com.