Weeks of collecting used shoes paid off for the Magnolia chapter of the Humane Society.

Secretary Kay Grantham said the animal welfare group earned $1,116 from the donated shoes for Funds2Orgs. That group helps nonprofits in the United States by buying up items like shoes and then providing those items to entrepreneurs in developing countries who sell the clothing through small businesses.

Grantam said Funds2Orgs was a good company to work with.

“It went exactly as the company said it would go,” she said. “The truck came on time they gave us a 30 minute window to come and pick everything up … The check came less than a week later. It’s a wonderful company to work with. They’re very supportive.”

Grantham said there’s always a need for extra funds, and the money will likely go toward a spay/neuter program.

“Our spay/neuter program is pretty much break even,” she said. “Sometimes we have to subsidize it because people don’t have the ability to pay to spay or neuter a cat or dog.”

In addition, the group has to pay for vet checks for the dogs it manages to adopt out.

“The ones that we transport, they have to be vetted to a certain extent before they can go,” said Grantham. “We put some tim, money and effort into the dogs and puppies, to get them ready to go. We’re glad they find great homes, but we get no returns on that.”

The Magnolia chapter will be moving into a new home sometime soon and this, too, will likely require more funds. The parish government has been refurbishing a building on Yacc Road near Franklinton, but the Magnolia chapter will need to furnish much of the building. As it is, the group keeps dogs in foster homes around the community. The Yacc Road office would provide a permanent kennel, but add operational costs.

Grantham said donated office supplies could also help.

“What’s needed is pretty much anything,” she said. “We need office equipment. And grooming equipment.”

But, for the most part, there are still big unknowns. The operational details haven’t been finalized and there’s still no move in date.

“I just wanted to thank everyone about the shoes. It was fantastic,” Grantham said.

However, fundraising is ongoing.

At present, Grantham said the group is selling T-shirts. The T-shirts are $18 and the money will go toward spaying or neutering stray and feral cats.

“Nobody wants to come up with the $35 to spay or neuter the cats so we’re doing a drive for that,” said Grantham.

She added that the group will catch, neuter and release the free roaming cats and clip the tip off the left ear to show the cat will be unable to breed in the future. Such programs are popular across the U.S. and they offer a sustainable and affordable solution to the problem of stray and feral cats. Grantham said once the group has the money to begin, they will move across the parish, trapping as many feral and stray cats as possible.

Grantham is using an online platform, Booster.com, to sell the shirts. To see the shirts or to buy one, visit www.booster.com/communitycatsproject. The sale ends July 31.

In addition, the Magnolia chapter will be holding its annual cute pet contest for their calendar project. Grantham said that project will likely launch in August.