Paint’s Blog

http://www.pawsofpa.org/MasonCounty.html

November 23, 2005

Know
an animal lover? Please feel free to pass this to anyone interested in
helping create a no-kill community for our companion animals.

A Thanksgiving Wish for the Animals of Mason County

Mason County, WV
Earlier this week, an email went out to CPAA groups and individual
members asking for donations for the Mason County Animal Shelter in
West Virginia. This is a shelter that many in CPAA have been trying to
help over the last few years in an effort to make it a beacon of hope
for animals in an otherwise desolate situation.

The Mason County
Animal Welfare League is a volunteer organization dedicated to
improving the lives of the unwanted dogs and cats of Mason County. This
organization was formed in April 2005 and contracted with the county to
run the animal shelter.

Mason County is a
poor, rural area. Most dogs spend their lives outdoors, chained to a
dog house, tree, or log all year round, even in the cold snowy winter.
Many dogs don’t have adequate food, water, or shelter. There is no
animal control officer in this county. No one to speak up for the
animals. No one to seize animals from neglect/abuse situations. No one
to care except for a very small group of animal-loving volunteers
called MCAWL. Since MCAWL’s inception, they have discontinued use of
the gas chamber and are working to become a no-kill shelter.

Yesterday,
tragedy struck while a new heating system was being installed at the
shelter. A gas valve was mistakenly left open and caused a large
explosion and a massive fire in the shelter. The fire spread very
quickly and killing many of the animals in the shelter. It severely
injured three people and devastated the shelter building as well as all
of the supplies in it. The shelter windows were blown out and a hole
was blown in roof but the walls are still standing. The interior is a
complete loss. The shelter has some food which was stored in an
outbuilding but no water.

Local residents
have stepped forward to foster some of the dogs which were saved. Other
groups are on the way to pick up more and bring supplies.

Please
think of the shelter, staff, volunteers and animals in Mason County
this holiday season. The shelter is in need of donations for immediate
needs and eventually to rebuild.

You can donate online using PayPal on the Mason County Animal Shelter website at http://masoncounty.petfinder.com.
Or send checks to Mason County Animal Shelter, c/o CPAA, 1802 Silver
Pine Circle, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050. Please write Mason County in the
memo section. Mason County is not yet 501(c)3 but is in the process of
filing for nonprofit status.

If you would like
to donate supplies, information on drop-off locations will be
forthcoming. Items needed include kennels, crates, leashes, collars,
and bowls.

You can learn more about the Mason County Animal Shelter and MCAWL by visiting their websites at http://masoncounty.petfinder.com and http://www.masoncawl.rescuegroups.com.