Lions help cats and dogs and

Roxanne Hutson shows slides to Lions about animals in need. The humane shelter is raising money to build a new building. The Humane Society of Northeast Texas came across a whole den of Lions Thursday in their presentation to the Kilgore Lions Club.

Roxanne Hutson, director for the Humane Society of Northeast Texas, said their agency is one of few that is an open admissions shelter. "We will take any animal from anyone in our contract area," said Hutson. "If someone wishes to drop off an animal from outside our contract area there is a small fee."

Hutson said the goal of the shelter is to provide homes for animals and eventually stop the euthanasia of abandoned pets. "Now approximately 70 percent of all animals brought into the shelter are euthanised," said Hutson.

Hutson said the shelter is a private non-profit organization located at 303 Enterprise St., Longview. "We do our best to find homes for our animals by utilizing advertising as much as possible," said Hutson. "In 2005 the shelter took in 9750 animals."

Hutson said the biggest majority is dogs with cats a close second but we get rabbits, snakes, birds and even ferrets. "No matter what type of animal if it is domesticated we do our best to find them a good home," said Hutson.

Chase Peterson, Erica Greer and Librarian Linda Dudley were honored at the Kilgore Lions Club on Thursday. Peterson and Greer are both seniors and Dudley has been the librarian for 27 years at Kilgore High School. Hutson said part of the problem is people not being responsible pet owners. "We have just received a grant which allows families with an annual income of less then $20,000 to have their animal spayed or neutered for free," said Hutson. "There are too many occasions where boxes of kittens and puppies are dropped off because the pet was not spayed or neutered."

Hutson said pets are believed to enrich the lives of their owners. "It is said that pets help to lower blood pressure in their owners," said Hutson.

The shelter also assists law enforcement in abuse or abandonment cases and, in the case of a dog bite, the animal must be quarantined for ten days.

At any given time the shelter houses 100 to 150 animals. "We always need items such as cat litter, dog and cat food, toys but most -of all - lifelong adoptive homes for our loving pets," said Hutson.

While at the Lions Club President Chuck Maxwell presented Hutson a check for $500 from the Lions Club.

Hutson said anyone with questions or who wants to know more about adopting a pet call (903) 2972170 or e-mail the shelter at www.hsgoo.org.