Community supports MCHS through matching campaign

Feb. 17--FAIRMONT -- The Marion County Humane Society (MCHS) raised over $17,000 as part of the second annual Veterinarian Bill Match Campaign.

The campaign is a "double your dollars" style where every dollar donated was doubled by a variety of sponsors. Every $10 dollars turned to $20 and so forth. All donations matched up to $8,000 were doubled by the sponsors. The campaign ran from Dec. 1-31.

Past MCHS Board president and current volunteer Don Downs said he started the campaign as a way to maximize donations with public support.

"I always wondered if we could put together a match program," Downs said. "The people of Marion County are very, very generous, and so I thought what would really be neat would be if we could get sponsors to put up money, and then we could have the public match what those sponsors put up."

Sponsors included West Virginia Banker's Title LLC, Jean and Dora Grubb, Mountaineer Insurance Group, Ruth Martin, Moonshine and Jingles Memorial and other private donors.

MCHS board member Suze Dempsey said all of the dollars raised from the campaign will stay right in Marion County to help the current and future shelter animals with medical bills.

"It will help with all of the typical things that are required before we let them get adopted. It helps with spaying and neutering, heartworm testing, deworming, all vaccinations required for their specific ages and any pre-conditions that are taken care of before they are even adoptable," Dempsey said.

For example, Dempsey said the shelter had recently taken in a new mother and her 11 puppies, and that these funds will certainly help the animals get off to a great start.

"We had an abused dog that came to us with severe wounds that is finally healthy and happy," Dempsey said. "Those are the things that these dollars go to. It's getting the animals healthy and happy and into their forever homes."

Downs said the reason for starting this campaign was to pay for outstanding vet bills two years ago since available grants could not help.

"There's a lot of money available for different types of things and different grants available, but most of the time they don't cover the animals that are already in the shelter," Downs said. "That's what I had in mind."

Downs and Dempsey both agreed that the sponsors and the community are what made the campaign successful.

"The overwhelming support from the shelter and volunteers and the programs like this are the backbone of our existence," Dempsey said. "When there is a show of support like we receive from the community and when we apply for grants, that is always one of the questions that they want to know. What kind of community support does the shelter have? When we can list things like this, these projects that are so successful, that really adds to our chances of getting awarded grants."

Dempsey said the shelter is very fortunate for the support from the community. Without the sponsors and community donations, the shelter would be tasked with the on-going expenses of medical bills.

"It's just wonderful that the public steps up. It just proves that we have a very compassionate community," Dempsey said. "We can't change their past, but we can change their future."

Email Kaitlyn Neff at kneff@timeswv.com and follow her on Twitter @kneffTWV.

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