With 13 freshly shampooed dogs and over $1,200 in the “kitty,” The Butler County Humane Society held another successful fundraiser last weekend.

The Annual Wag n’ Wash and Yard Sale at the Pet Laundry on Conecuh Street was well supported by the public and volunteers, said Kandys Killough of the BCHS.

“We had loads of volunteers – about 11, I believe – and no expenses, other than sweat and elbow grease,” Killough said.

The group is tentatively planning at second yard sale at the same location close to Thanksgiving, featuring toys and Christmas items.

With Tim Pierce offering storage units at no cost to the humane society, donations from local citizens can be taken throughout the year, said Annie Crenshaw of the BCHS.

“Consider asking your friends and neighbors who are cleaning out garages or who have leftover items from a yard sale, to save the ‘good stuff’ and we can arrange to pick it up and put it in storage for future events,” Crenshaw said.

BCHS president Herbert Morton was happy to announce the volunteer program is starting up again at the Greenville Animal Shelter, with member Beeland Stead serving as the first volunteer.

“This is something we can build upon,” said Morton. “I envision the day were we can help staff the shelter daily Monday through Friday and possibly even on Saturday mornings.”

More good news came with the report the suspended ventilation fans purchased for the shelter by the BCHS were now installed and “working well.”

“These are also thermostatically controlled to keep it comfortable for the dogs when the staff isn’t there. It seems like a really nice use of our money,” Morton said.

Unwelcome news came in the form of the report from the Greenville Animal Shelter for the month of May: a total of 126 animals were put down; less than 10 reclaimed and only eight were adopted.

“It’s the same old story and it’s a never-ending story if we don’t do something about it. That’s why we have to get more animals spayed and neutered to help cut down on these numbers,” Morton said.

The BCHS is currently negotiating with Watson’s Animal Clinic to subsidize spaying and neutering for an additional 10 animals a month. These surgeries would be done on animals belonging to low-income county residents meeting certain criteria.

“It’s a start. Hopefully in the future we can increase that number,” Morton said.

The group is also putting together plans for its 2011 pet calendar, with additional details to be announced soon in The Greenville Advocate.

The BCHS is looking for young people who would like to join the group and assist in fundraising/adoption events.

“We have animals who need love and socialization and teens and tweens who need those volunteer hours, and it’s a perfect match,” said Killough.

The next meeting of the Butler County Humane Society is Wednesday, July 14 at 1 p.m. at Old Mexico.

For more information, contact Herbert Morton at 334-382-4611 or email ButlerCountyHumaneSociety@gmail.com.