An interview with Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society from Amarillo, Texas.
Table Of Content
- Introducing Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society
- How Did The Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society Start? What Are The Challenges Encountered Along The Way?
- Tell Us About The Most “Unusual” Animal That The Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society Has Ever Taken.
- Tell Us About The Most Unique And Creative Fundraising Campaigns The Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society Has Done.
- Tell Us About The Most Rewarding Part Of Running Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society
- What Do You Think Might Be The Greatest Challenge Of Running Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society?
- Tell Us More About The Volunteers In Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society
- Where Do Most Of The Animals In Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society Come From, And What Is The Process For Rescuing And Rehabilitating Them?
- What Are The Busiest Periods, And How Does Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society?
- What Animals Does Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society Focus On?
- Working With The Local Community
- Tell Us More About Your Events
- What Is Done Differently at Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society?
- How Has Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society Adapted To The Challenges Presented By The Pandemic?
- Share With Us Some Of The Heartwarming Stories Of Animals Rehabilitated And Rehomed By the Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society.
- What Are The Help Needed From The Local Community?
- Connect With Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society here:
Introducing Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society
I (Cynthia Clark) am the director of operations and the only staff member. I began fostering in 2015, and by 2018, I had taken a part-time position with APHS doing laundry. I loved spending time with the animals, more with the dogs at the shelter we were then housed in, as they offered zero enrichment.
How Did The Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society Start? What Are The Challenges Encountered Along The Way?
APHS was founded in the 1970s. None of the original participants are currently involved. For me, seeing the need as a foster is what led me to become more involved. We had been housed at our local municipal high-kill shelter since the 70s. In September, the decision was made for us to move to an offsite location. We have a shop with an office and can house small dogs and cats here. We pull from the shelter we had been housed at as well as many other rural shelters in the Panhandle. We have a small adoption program, but our primary focus is sending animals out of state.
Tell Us About The Most “Unusual” Animal That The Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society Has Ever Taken.
We sent a pig on transport a couple of years ago. He came in covered in bite wounds but was clearly a pet vs. farm pig. We sent him to a sanctuary in Colorado, and they found him a loving indoor home! We have also taken hamsters, guinea pigs, and even a betta fish who was surrendered to the shelter.
Tell Us About The Most Unique And Creative Fundraising Campaigns The Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society Has Done.
For Valentine’s day this year, we posted pictures of our foster pets pooping on ex’s. Our fosters had a lot of fun with it as well as the community donated to have names entered. We made almost $500 dollars!
Tell Us About The Most Rewarding Part Of Running Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society
The most rewarding part of being involved in seeing them thrive once out of the shelter. I am drawn to the fear of aggressive and shut-down dogs who normally are euthanized once the tray hold is up. I thrive in the process of earning their trust and watching them change into loving family pets.
What Do You Think Might Be The Greatest Challenge Of Running Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society?
The most difficult part of running us now, a foster-based organization, is finding committed fosters who will keep the animal; too often, we see them returned because they are too hyper, not potty trained, or just not what they expected. I wish people could see what their life was like in the shelter to better understand and support them during the transition into a home!
Tell Us More About The Volunteers In Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society
We have had many notable volunteers over the years, but I will talk about Ashley. Ashley began volunteering for our organization as a foster; she then began volunteering in person at the shelter before eventually taking a job with us. She was an amazing employee, but sadly we had to lay her off when we moved from the shelter in August of 2022. She continued to volunteer her time and still does! She helps with everything and never complains. She has been a crucial asset to our organization as a foster, staff member, and volunteer. Ashley prefers bottle/mush kittens as her foster of choice, and she has done amazing at nursing the weakest back to health and loved the ones who didn’t until their last breath.
Where Do Most Of The Animals In Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society Come From, And What Is The Process For Rescuing And Rehabilitating Them?
We pull from shelters in the panhandle as well as take animals from members of the community as we have fosters available. We go to different shelters one day a week to play with, evaluate and network with their animals, we love providing the enrichment they otherwise would not have. We use the pictures, videos, and information we get to network with our fosters and rescue partners. Citizens are asked to submit an intake request on our website.
What Are The Busiest Periods, And How Does Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society?
Typically summer months and around Christmas seem to be busier than other times. In the summer, more animals seem to move via transport, while Christmas seems intake is higher, usually due to an incoming Christmas puppy.
What Animals Does Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society Focus On?
We do not, although I am partial to pitties. They are so overbred locally and the most euthanized in shelters. I feel pit bulls are misunderstood and have personally seen much meaner small breeds than I have pits.
Working With The Local Community
We help provide enrichment and out-of-state resources smaller shelters may not have access to, as well as transport their animals out of state. We have all the required permissions for different states and two transport vans. We have a contract veterinarian who comes in to provide health certificates and vaccines to help make these transports possible.
Tell Us More About Your Events
We are in the planning stages of a few events but don’t have anything set at this time.
What Is Done Differently at Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society?
I think our transport services are pretty impressive; when we were at our peak in-house to the shelter, we moved about 400 animals a month! Sadly, this is not our current status, but we hope as we continue to learn new ways to best help the rural shelters, we can, again, save as many lives as possible.
How Has Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society Adapted To The Challenges Presented By The Pandemic?
The pandemic was the first step in all the changes that followed and stopped all our annual fundraising events. We are slowly learning how to function under the new circumstances and planning our first big in-person fundraiser!
Raja was found by Amarillo Management and Welfare after a citizen called them. She was abandoned in a kennel under a blanket in an alley. She had newborn puppies who had been brutally killed while she had been stabbed in the neck and nose. We immediately tagged her and sent her to one of our local veterinarian clinics, where she remained in critical condition for a few days. She was released into a foster home (my home), where she required around-the-clock care, medication, and lots of love. After weeks of care, her physical wounds healed, but she needed more time for her heart and mind to heal. I was diligent in providing her with safety, and she slowly learned how to be a dog. She loved the other dogs in the home and played her heart out. Her story seemed to be nearing a happy ending. However, I noticed she would limp, so we sent her back to the vet. She was too happy and wiggly for an x-ray, so she had to be sedated. The decision was made to spay her while she was under to avoid further anesthesia. During her spay, the vet found that her uterus was far too thin and suspected she had been bred repeatedly. It tore, and she began to bleed out on the table. Due to the quick action of the amazing vet team, she was saved again. Her x-ray confirmed that she had 3 meniscus tears as a result of a CCL tear. They suspected that she spent her whole life in a kennel, only coming out to breed. She required a $4,000 surgery by an orthopedic surgeon. She had also decided cats looked like yummy snacks, and while it broke my heart, Raja had to be moved to another foster home, which didn’t have cats.
Her next foster loved her dearly. She is truly a diamond in the rough, but they, too, knew she would be better off moving to Colorado to receive the surgery she needed. Lucky for Raja, we have an amazing rescue partner in Colorado who has a relationship with a skilled orthopedic surgeon. She was transported to them, received her surgery, and was adopted by a vet tech at the clinic! She goes to work with her new mom all the time and truly got her happy ending!
What Are The Help Needed From The Local Community?
We struggle with donations, monetary and physical. We need help with general operating funds regularly, transport closets-it costs us no less than $600 each time we send a van out, as well as dog food, toys, and crates. We are desperate for more foster homes! We offer long-term/until adopted as well as temporary/until transport.
Connect With Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society here:
Address: 13400 S. Bell St. #B Amarillo, TX-79118
Website: www.amarillo-panhandle-hs.org
Wondrousdrifter.com is thankful to the Amarillo-Panhandle Humane Society for the interview.
Check out this page for the list of animal shelters in Amarillo, Texas.
