Following the success of the recent Dogutante Ball (netting nearly $4,400) and their pet calendar project, the Butler County Humane Society is busy making plans for more adoption events/fundraisers.

“I think we’ll be shifting our focus to less letter-writing campaigns and more activity-oriented fundraising to get the community even more involved and make our presence and purpose known,” said BCHS president Herbert Morton during the group’s March meeting.

The annual spring “Bark in the Park” is set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, April 17 in Confederate Park in Greenville.

A Best-Dressed Doggie Parade, gift items for sale, a bake sale, and a chance to meet and get to know some of the area’s adoptable animals are some of the activities planned for the day.

“We are looking for volunteers to help us with set up and take down, and show off these animals, take them for walks, lead them around. And we need volunteers to make some yummy cookies, cupcakes, dessert bars, cakes and other items for our bake sale,” event chair Annie Crenshaw said.

The BCHS also plans to have a booth with pet-oriented items for sale and more adoptable pets on display at Calico Fort April 10 and 11 in Fort Deposit.

“This was a great adoption event for us last year and I really think we should participate again this year,” said Kandys Killough, who volunteered to helm the event.

The organization will hold its annual “Wag n’ Wash” on June 5 at the Pet Laundry in Greenville, with plans to hold another yard sale in conjunction with it.

The BCHS has a two-fold mission: to support the day-to-day needs of the Greenville Animal Shelter and to build and operate the proposed Second Chance no-kill animal shelter to help more adoptable animals find good homes.

“As we seek to find homes for these cats and dogs, we also want to look at bringing more attention to the need for spaying and neutering in our county. We’ve proved we can raise money. Now let’s work at getting more animals fixed and cutting down the overpopulation problem,” Morton said.

Many of the adoptable animals from the Greenville shelter and those fostered by Killough can be seen on Petfinder.com (type in the Greenville zip code).

Kristy Stinson of the Greenville shelter and Killough both report they have had considerable success finding homes for animals listed on the site. Killough said she had one of her foster dogs taken by an animal lover all the way in Connecticut who saw the dog on the Petfinder site. The animal was transported by car by a series of volunteers to his new home in New England.

“We need to encourage people to take advantage of this site if they are looking for a pet to offer a home to,” Morton said.

The next meeting of the BCHS is set for 1 p.m. April 13 at Old Mexico. All those interested in animal welfare are encouraged to attend.