>>MELANIE LAWSON: WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE. SO INFLATION, IT’S IMPACTING US ALL,
ESPECIALLY PET OWNERS ARE
FEELING IT. THE RISING COST OF
FEEDING AND CARING FOR OUR
FOUR-LEGGED FAMILY MEMBERS IS
GETTING MORE AND MORE
DIFFICULT. JACKSONVILLE,
HUMANE SOCIETY IS MAKING SURE
THAT LOCAL PET OWNERS ARE
GETTING SOME LOVE WHEN THEY
NEED IT. SO JOINING ME NOW TO
TALK MORE ABOUT THIS, IT’S THE
FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE
CHALLENGE THIS MONTH. LINDSAY
LAND DECKER, WHO’S THE
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY
PARTNERSHIPS WITH JAX HUMANE.
GOOD MORNING.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
YOU KNOW, LET’S TALK ABOUT
THIS BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE SO
MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HIT BY
THE PANDEMIC, THEN HIT WITH
THE INFLATION. AND, YOU KNOW,
WHEN IT COMES TO OUR PETS, WE
TRY TO WORK IT OUT. BUT
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO DECIDE
WHO’S GOING TO BE TONIGHT.
WILL IT BE THE KIDS OR WILL IT
BE THE PET?
>> YEAH, AT TIMES ARE TOUGH
FOR EVERYONE. AS WE KNOW HERE
ON THE FIRST COAST, PETS ARE
FAMILY DOGS AND CATS. THOSE
ARE FAMILY FOR ME. THOSE ARE
MY KIDS. AND SO, YOU KNOW,
WHEN OR WHEN OUR NATION IS
FACING TIMES LIKE THIS, ARE
COMMUNITIES FACING CHALLENGES
AT THE JACKSONVILLE, HUMANE
SOCIETY, WE DO EVERYTHING WE
CAN TO TRY TO SUPPORT PET
PARENTS TO KEEP PETS AND
PEOPLE TOGETHER BECAUSE IT’S
ALL ABOUT KEEPING THAT FAMILY
UNIT TOGETHER. YEAH. LINDSAY,
LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU ALL
DO. FIRST OF ALL, KUDOS. I
BRING THE KIDS. WE DO THE
READING PROGRAM.
>> AND WE ALSO JUST COME TO
LIKE, HANG OUT WITH THE CATS
AND TO SEE THE LITTLE I LOVE
THE HUMANE SOCIETY IS A
BEAUTIFUL BUILDING. YOU GUYS
DO GREAT WORK UP FOR PEOPLE
THAT AREN’T AS FAMILIAR. HOW
DO YOU SUPPORT PEOPLE?
>> SO WE HAVE A PET FOOD
PANTRY EVERY IT’S HELD FROM
09:00AM TO 11:00AM AND IT
SERVES DOG AND CAT FOOD. YOU
CAN COME ONCE A MONTH AND WE
JUST ASK FOR PROOF THAT YOUR
PETS, SPAYED AND BUT IF YOU
DON’T HAVE GROUP THAT’S OKAY.
JUST COME IN AND TALK TO US.
WE ALSO HAVE A PET HELP
CENTER. IT’S RIGHT IN THE
MIDDLE OF OUR BUILDING. AND
THAT IS A GREAT RESOURCE TOOL.
WE HAVE COUNSELORS WHO CAN
HELP YOU IF YOU NEED SUPPLIES
FOR YOUR PET, IF YOU NEED SOME
BEHAVIOR IN SIZE, IF YOU NEED
ASSISTANCE. REHOMING YOUR CAT,
IF YOU EMERGENCY BOARDING,
JUST COME AND TALK TO US. WE
OUR GOAL REALLY IS TO KEEP
PETS AND PEOPLE TOGETHER SO
YOU CAN REACH OUT TO US VIA
EMAIL PHONE CALL. WE HAVE LOTS
OF RESOURCES. WE’RE GOING TO
DO OUR BEST TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE HELP YOU AS BEST AS WE CAN.
ALL RIGHT. NOW THAT WE TOLD
YOU WHAT YOU ALL DO NOW, WHAT
IS THE ASK? IT’S A BIG ONE.
$24,000.24. HOURS. YES, THAT
THIS WILL BE OUR 3RD YEAR
DOING FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE.
IT IS OUR BIG JULY FUNDRAISER.
WE TRY TO RAISE $24,000 IN 24
HOURS THIS YEAR. WE’RE DOING
IT ON JULY. 26. AND SO WE’RE
REALLY EXCITED THAT WE ALSO
HAVE A MATCH THIS YEAR. SO IF
WE CAN RAISE $24,000 ON JULY,
26TH, WE HAVE A VERY GENEROUS
DONOR WHO WILL MATCH ITS. THAT
WILL BE $40,000 FOR THE
COMMUNITY OF JACKSONVILLE TO
KEEP SUPPORTING THESE
PROGRAMS. SO WE ARE REALLY
EXCITED FOR THE COMMUNITY COME
THROUGH FOR A DOSE OF THAT
PERSON WHO’S MAKING THAT
MATCHES. THAT DOES GO A LONG
WAY. WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THAT
KIND OF MONEY SO THAT HELPS
FUND OUR PET SAFETY NET, WHICH
PROVIDES THOSE COMMUNITY
PROGRAMS. YOU KNOW, IF WE’RE
ABLE TO KEEP A DOG OR CAT AND
THEY’RE LOVING HOMES AND THAT
MEANS THAT THERE IS A KENNEL
OPEN AND AVAILABLE FOR A DOG
OR CAT DOESN’T HAVE A HOME. SO
IT’S ABOUT THE FAMILY
STRUCTURE, BUT IT’S ALSO ABOUT
HELPING HOMELESS PETS. SO IT’S
REALLY THAT’S A GREAT 2 FOR
ONE WAY OF SAVING LIVES. YEAH,
JUST QUICKLY BEFORE WE WRAP
WITH YOU, HOW ARE THINGS GOING
RIGHT NOW? ARE YOU OVERRUN
WITH CATS OR DOGS OR WHAT YOUR
POPULATION LIKE? SO ARE
WONDERFUL DOGS, WONDERFUL
CATS. LOTS OF KITTENS LOOKING
FOR WE’RE HAVING ADOPTION
EVENTS JUST ABOUT EVERY
WEEKEND HERE IN JACKSONVILLE,
ALONG WITH OUR FRIENDS AT
ANIMAL CARE AND PROTECTIVE
SERVICES. SO IF YOU ARE
THINKING ABOUT ADOPTING A PET
NOW IS A GREAT TIME BECAUSE IT
IS WE ARE FULL. WE ARE AT
MAXIMUM CAPACITY AND IT WOULD
BE A WONDERFUL TIME TO ADOPT.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ME, A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING. IF
YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT AGO AND
AT LEAST JUST GO GO PERUSE THE
ANIMALS AND MAYBE ONE WILL
TOUCH YOU IN YOUR HEART TO
GET.
>> SO IT’S JULY. 26
$24,000.24. HOURS. WE’LL MAKE
SURE TO GET THAT ON THE
WEBSITE TO SUPPORT YOU. AND IF
YOU’RE INTERESTED IN DONATING,
IT’S PRETTY EASY TO DO.