By Jason Evans
Staff Reporter

jevans@thepccourier.com

EASLEY — The Pickens County Humane Society has raised enough money to keep it open until the end of the year.

Last week, PCHS officials were uncertain if the organization would be able to remain open.

The society hosted a luncheon in Easley Wednesday and gave attendees an update on its outlook.

“Hopefully, we’ll have many more, with your love and support of the animals,” Pree Hamilton said of the luncheon. “We strive to succeed.”

Earlier this month, the society announced that, due to financial strain, it would no longer be accepting animals and would be open for adoptions only.

PCHS director Samantha Gamble thanked supporters for all the help “you have given us these past 47 years.”

“Without Pickens County Humane Society and all the sponsors, volunteers, staff and board members, we would never have had the opportunity to change so many lives — the four-legged and two-legged,” she said.

Her five years have been full of highs and lows, Gamble said.

“PCHS went from being a high-kill facility to one of two no-kill facilities in our region,” she said. “We remodeled the main kennel area, created a free-range cat room, expanded our educational components and have been working toward opening the first low-cost spay-and-neuter clinic in our county.”

Lows include the loss of “not only monetary support, but partnership with the county we serve,” Gamble said.

“We have struggled each year to remain open to the next,” she said. “Pickens County Humane Society does not receive funding from the state of South Carolina, Pickens County nor any city within the county we serve. We are solely relying on the community, as well as our yearly fundraisers, to try to be self-sustaining.”

Two years ago, the humane society was almost forced to close its doors “due to financial crisis,” Gamble said.

A successful “Save the Shelter, Save the Animals” fundraising campaign kept the society open.

Since January of this year, PCHS has been operating on a month-to-month basis, she said.

“Although this is not an ideal way to operate and maintain a business, we continued our efforts of saving animals of Pickens County,” Gamble said. ‘We remained for the last 10 months with an uncertain future because we felt that it was our mission and purpose to continue to provide a refuge for unwanted and stray animals and find an appropriate forever home for as many as we could until we could no longer continue operations.”

Thanks to those efforts so far this year, 384 animals were given refuge and placement was found for more than 340 of those animals, she said.

“We currently have 70 animals in our program that we will need to locate proper placement for if we cannot continue to operate,” Gamble said.

Gamble said she and the board were going to reassess the society’s financial position to determine whether it can continue to operate the rest of 2019 into next year “or if we must say our final goodbyes.”

It’s not just individuals or families that benefit from the Pickens County Humane Society, she said.

“The whole community is positively affected when animals have safe refuge and find their forever homes,” Gamble said.

Between 2014 and 2018, PCHS placed 2,628 animals in forever homes, she said.

Opening the low-cost spay-and-neuter clinic would help the society sustain itself, she said.

“The clinic would provide low-cost vaccines, preventative medications and sterilization to all animals in need,” Gamble said. “These services will offer proper medical care to low-income families for their pets and to help eliminate overpopulation and euthanasia.”

The clinic is “a much-needed expansion of our services to the community” that would benefit Pickens County, she said.

“But due to our financial situation, this goal, and many others, are currently not within reach,” Gamble said.

The society has roots in the community, she said.

“Our work isn’t done yet,” Gamble said. “We are the voice of the animals, and we cannot do this by ourselves. We ask each one of you here today to join our conversation. Take the opportunity to speak up, share the need and be heard. You will contribute to our cause.”

The society announced on Facebook Monday that it had raised the money needed o fund itself through the end of 2019, but encouraged continued support, including sponsorships of its animals.

“We still need monetary donations to help PCHS become financially stable,” the post read. “We won’t stop here; we want to see 2020!”

PCHS will be open to receive animals, but cannot fill up completely “due to the uncertainty of the future ahead,” the post said.

The facility currently cannot accept any cats or kittens.

To donate to the Pickens County Humane Society, visit pchumanesociety.org or call (864) 843-9693.