The echoing sound of dogs barking as you pass through the aisles of kennels and the overwhelming smell of cat and the quiet meowing heard as soon as the door the cat room is opened are strong marks of a humane society. If you’re stressed from college, schoolwork, exams or life, the humane society provides a plentiful amount of cats and dogs for you to pet, love and walk for free — no adoption required.
The Copper Country Humane Society was created in 1972 and provides homes to dogs, cats and other animals. As a nokill shelter, it gives a comfortable place for some animals to live out their lives or give them another chance to find a loving home.
Becki Clouthier, the Shelter Manager, said, “On an average month we get about 40-50 animals brought in and about 30 adoptions. That can vary with the seasons.” She also explained, “Many of the dogs brought in are strays that do get claimed by their owners so they are never put up for adoption.” In addition to being a no-kill shelter, CCHS intends to be a no-time limit shelter as well. Clouthier said, “Tennessee [one of the dogs] has been at the shelter for almost a year and sadly has not had any interest shown in in her.” This is a situation that is quite normal in shelters because they are high-stress environments for the animals and can alter the personality of the animals inside, making them seem more frightening or aggressive than they really are. “The shelter is a higher-stress environment so many dogs calm down once they leave,” said Clouthier.
Every once in a while the shelter does something called “Featured Animals” where they showcase specific animals in hopes of increasing their chances of adoption. They have not done this recently but are planning on doing it soon. The featured animals can be found on Facebook, Instagram and in the shelter. Clouthier also said, “We invite anyone to take photos of animals as well, especially of them playing, out walking and so forth. We enjoy using them on social media and our website.” All those pictures can go to good use.
The shelter is not currently hiring staff, but volunteers are always welcome and needed. Walking dogs to help get nervous energy out and socializing cats is not only an incredibly beneficial way to help the animals in the shelter, but it’s also extremely effective at helping reduce stress in humans as well. When asked what donation items are most needed at the shelter, Clouthier responded, “One thing we always need is cat litter and appreciate any and all types and brands. It doesn’t have to be expensive and high end. Our cats are used to a variety!” Other items include paper towels, hand/ dish/laundry soap, canned cat or dog food, used blankets, sheets, pillowcases and towels.
The humane society follows a thorough check-in process where animals are checked over, vaccinated and given a kennel in an area apart from other animals to begin with so that they can get used to their new surroundings. As Clouthier puts it, “It’s a very fun and rewarding job, especially watching fearful, abused or angry animals come around and learn to trust, but it’s definitely not an easy job.”
To see the adoptable animals, you can visit the CCHS website at http://www. cchumanesociety.com/ which also has their open hours and their location.
