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For more than 10 years, Kay Grantham has been running bi-monthly low-cost spay/neuter clinics for Washington Parish residents at the Coast Vet Hospital located in Gulfport, Miss. The program sterilizes 1,200 pets a year and has fixed more than 14,000 dogs and cats since the program started in 2009. Grantham also helps adopt pets from the Bogalusa and Franklinton shelters and responds to hundreds of calls for assistance that range from helping corral animals at large to investigating deliberate acts of neglect. Grantham and her small team of volunteers with the Magnolia Chapter of the Humane Society of Louisiana seem to do it all.

Grantham is also good at fundraising and relies on local foundations and pet lovers to donate to the Magnolia Chapter. She also knows that the need for low cost spay-neuter is great and until people have access to more low cost spay-neuter programs, they will likely not fix their pets thus allowing the animals to continue to breed, adding to the surplus of pets needing homes.

To provide more low-cost spay/neuter and veterinary services, the Magnolia Chapter recently donated $8,000 and $2,000 in equipment to the Washington Parish Animal Shelter, located at 23046 YACC Road. The funds will allow the shelter to purchase equipment for the shelter’s surgery suite, where routine surgeries and sterilization of shelter pets can be performed. The parish has contracted the services of Dr. Linnea Collins, who visits the shelter once a week to examine each animal and vaccinate those pets that are available for adoption.

Even though the parish does not provide services to pick up stray animals like other agencies do in larger, nearby parishes, Washington Parish does operate a shelter that houses animals that are brought there. The shelter also adopts pets, provides limited medical services for its shelter pets, and educates the public on best practices for pet ownership.

“Kay and her team have made a tremendous difference in Washington parish, and it’s been a real honor and privilege to work with her and her volunteers,” said Jeff Dorson, director of the Humane Society of Louisiana. “I’ve seen her drive and commitment to help animals in communities throughout the parish for the past 13 years, and her work ethic and results are enviable and commendable.”

“Providing accessible and affordable spay and neuter programs is the primary tool in reducing pet overpopulation and developing and providing those services has always been our primary goal since we started this chapter back in 2008,” Grantham said.

Those wishing to donate to the Magnolia Chapter of the Humane Society of Louisiana can mail a check or money order to the Humane Society of Louisiana (write “Magnolia Chapter” in the check memo space, please), P.O. Box 854, Franklinton, LA 70438, or donate through its PayPal account at magnoliahumane@yahoo.com. All donations are tax-deductible.