By Stephen Smoot
For a decade plus one year, even during the COVID pandemic, the Pendleton Animal Welfare Shelter has served the humans of the county, as well as its cats and canines. The “spayghetti” dinner held by P.A.W.S. has raised funds to support animal welfare programs, specifically those that spay and neuter pets and feral animals alike to cut down on the population of both.
A steady stream of those hungry for homemade spaghetti sauce and pasta, meatballs, garlic bread, salad, and a dizzying array of slices of cake came through the fellowship hall doors of Main Street United Methodist Church.
Almost summer like temperatures likely helped to boost turnout.
Jane Seegar manned the door, collecting payments for the food and offering words of appreciation for every penny. She explained how Rebecca Eason of Pendleton Community Care came up with the idea.
“It was her brainchild,” noted Seegar.
Seegar described that “before COVID, it was a sit-down dinner with decorated tables.” During the pandemic, however, the dinner changed into mostly take out. That said, a couple from Franklin sat down at one of the tables set up for dine-in with a complete stranger visiting from Hampshire County to break bread in support of a great cause.
She then expressed appreciation to “the lovely ladies of the church,” and specifically thanked Barb Hamilton, because their kitchen “is the perfect facility.”
Support could also come from purchasing t-shirts and raffle tickets for a small succulent garden created by Barb Heavner of Cunningham Place.
Kristen Dingess, volunteer and council member for the Town of Franklin, shared that “this is my fourth year,” then explained that “this funds the spay and neuter program for the county.” She described how it helped both feral and domestic dogs and cats and explained that Dr. Gregory Bowers and his Faithful Friends Animal Clinic works with P.A.W.S. to try to defer as much cost as possible for “alterations” as the procedures are also called.
At the same time Bob Horan, Franklin mayor, stopped in to pay for and pick up a box full of food, also expressing his support for the cause.
For a time, the need to raise funds for alterations took on a greater sense of urgency. The West Virginia State Legislature for a time considered ending a program that charged a small fee on each item of pet food sold in West Virginia. Those funds went to support local level spay and neuter programs.
The program has served the state since 2018 and cost taxpayers nothing.
She shared that entreaties were made to the Pendleton County Commission to help to educate state legislators on the issue. Outreach was made to State Senators Bill Hamilton and Robbie Morris, as well as Delegates Bryan Ward and Elias Coop-Gonzalez.
One of the points made by P.A.W.S. to lawmakers was that the program brought more than $86,000 to the area in the past seven years from out-of-state sources and requiring no burden on the taxpayers. The state overall received approximately half a million in support for the program.
The spay and neuter program also correlated with a substantial drop in shelter intakes and euthanasia rates, which many times do rely on direct taxpayer support. In a decade starting in 2013, the need for shelter facilities dropped from 52,000 to 32,000 while euthanasia fell from 20,000 instances to 5,000.
Seegar joined the effort run by the West Virginia Foundation of Humane Organizations to lobby legislators to keep the program. Their main message lay in not only explaining the benefits, but also reminding lawmakers that the program puts no burden on the state or local budgets.
After meeting with legislators and holding a dinner event, the program was continued.
Seegar also related that P.A.W.S. itself needs more boots on the ground. They currently have a board of six, with the potential to have 11.
Additionally, they need other volunteers as well to serve as foster pet parents. Since Pendleton County has no animal rescue facility, P.A.W.S. relies on generous households to take in dogs and cats until they can be adopted out.
