Thanks to collaborative efforts from regional partners with BISSELL Pet Foundation, nearly 300 pets were evacuated from egregious conditions in a large-scale animal cruelty case in West Helena. The Humane Society of Independence County (HSIC) is part of the relief efforts and is taking in 40 pets through ground transport.
The pets were transferred to the HSIC shelter on Wednesday Oct. 27 and are currently in the intake process. With the addition of 40 pets, HSIC is asking for volunteers, supplies, and medical fund donations.
“We want to provide the best care possible for these pets so that they can be adopted as soon as possible. While we certainly are short on space, we could not turn our back on a crisis that fits so closely with our mission. We hope that the community will rally to help us take care of these animals,” Megan Trail, HSIC director.
For more information on donations and volunteering, see our website at HSICshelter.org. Donations are also taken at the shelter.
According to a press release from Animal Rescue Corps (ARC), a national animal protection nonprofit, joined BISSELL Pet Foundation to lead a huge rescue of over 300 animals from the failed Humane Society of the Delta in Helena. The facility was shutdown by local government and law enforcement for animal cruelty charges. The Helena-West Helena Police were called to the property by the employees of the city’s water department who were trying to collect an outstanding balance of over $29,000. A search warrant was issued and after searching the property and arresting the director fon 285 counts of felony animal cruelty, the city’s mayor shut the shelter down and reached out for help. BISSELL Pet Foundation along with Animal Rescue Corps, Cabot Animal Services, Humane Society of Tulsa, Nashville Humane Society and other groups evacuated the pets.