After announcing its closing last week, the Humane Society of Putnam County received an outpouring of support and interest among community members.
As of Tuesday evening, when the last kitten was taken home, all animals were spoken for, adopted or going to designated rescue organizations.
HSPC board member Lynn Bohmer said the board of directors will meet today to discuss close-down procedures as well as the future of the shelter and what needs to be done in order to reopen. Because the humane society will no longer have a paid executive director, those responsibilities will be passed off to board members.
Students wanting to get involved, however, still have options. Students can plan fundraisers, help clean the shelter or volunteer at the resale shop Rescued Treasures to continue benefiting the humane society.
Bohmer also strongly recommends students really wanting to "help out and get involved" become a part of the Friends of the Humane Society fundraising group.
"This group is going to have oversight of fundraising events and ideas to raise money," Bohmer said. "We have a fairly good number of people interested and are looking for people who have artistic talents, writing talents … but most of all people who are enthusiastic for the shelter to reopen."
Several greek houses have already planned fundraising events for the HSPC.
Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and Kappa Alpha Theta sorority will be hosting the Fiji-Theta Bark-B-Q on Wednesday, Sept. 21 to raise funds.
Delta Upsilon Fraternity is holding "Rent-A-DU" on Sunday, Sept. 18 to raise funds for the HSPC. Members of the fraternity are offering themselves up to do "yard work, housework, hard work, handiwork or any kind of work," according to their informational flyer.
"They still need money to pay off debts. It was something we thought we should do especially since they are closing so they can kind of leave debt free," said Delta Upsilon vice president of external relations Dave Jorgenson. "It's a good cause."
Co-coordinator of DePauw Community Service at the humane society Casie Sambo encourages students to get involved at Rescued Treasures and to look forward to fundraising events in October.