Humane Society will walk this Saturday to help raise funds to feed needy animals
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on September 22, 2011 1:46 PM
Wayne County Humane Society volunteer Gary Rollins has been at the animal shelter when elderly people have had to leave their only companion there because they can't afford to feed them.
"They're in tears because they have to give them up," he said. "And that's why we do what we do at the Humane Society."
Rollins is talking about the group's monthly free pet food distribution, which is partially supported by an annual pet walk/run for hunger fundraiser that will be held Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Pikeville Community Park on Railroad Street.
Registration opens at 7 a.m. The fee is $10 plus a bag of dry dog or cat food. Those who raise more than $100 during the walk will receive a free T-Shirt.
Proceeds from the event will go to the Humane Society's pet food pantry, which gives out food for free once a month to those who can't afford to feed their pets.
"Many years ago when the pantry first started, we had maybe 40 or 50 families," Rollins, the walk coordinator, said. "With the economy the way it is, it's just ballooned and it gets larger all the time. Lately, we've had in the neighborhood of 130 to 150 families."
And Rollins said with the slow economy, pet food donations have also been down.
The pet walk is the Humane Society's main fundraiser.
"One month, the Humane Society spent $1,000 buying food for the pantry, and we can't sustain that without donations and fundraisers," Rollins said.
"If you can't come to the pet walk, you can send donations to the Humane Society to purchase pet food or you can drop off food donations at Carolina Mini Storage, Pet Supplies Plus or Circle Tire and Gas."
Rollins said that if people could only see the pain in a child's eyes whose father has had to take his or her dog, maybe his only joy in the world, to the animal shelter because the family can't afford to feed it anymore, then they would understand why the Humane Society has its annual pet walk fundraiser.
"It's not only about the animals; it's about people's lives, too," he said. "As long as we can do what we do, we'll keep doing it. But we need support from the community."
Pets are allowed to take part in the fundraiser Saturday.
Registration packets are available from the Wayne County Animal Education and Adoption Center, Pet Supplies Plus, Circle Tire and Gas, Weil Enterprises, Goldsboro Record Printing and Hollowell and Benton.
For more information about the event, call 252-9412 or 440-5330 or log onto www.goldsboro-wchs.org.