PAWS TO PONDER

by Suzyn Barron, President of Warwick Valley Humane Society, Inc. 

Did you know our organization is going to be 70 years old on May 20th?  It all started in the very early 1950s with a small group of people with a passion to help animals who they felt were not being properly cared for.  They would meet on a regular basis in their homes and formulate a plan to alleviate the perceived suffering of dogs and then act on it. Not always in the most legal fashion. 

In 1954 they decided to become legitimate, obtaining the not for profit 501 ©3 status under the name Humane Society of the Town of Warwick whose territory was within the Town of Warwick for the purpose of “maintaining a shelter for domestic animals, find homes for them and provide education and information as to the needs and care of animals”.     

Their charter was amended in 1962 for a name change to the Orange County Suburban Humane Society, Inc. and a territory change to include the Towns of Blooming Grove, Chester, Cornwall, Goshen, Greenville, Hamptonburg, Minisink, Monroe, Tuxedo Wawayanda and Warwick.    Thankfully, in 1968 the Directors of the Society along with the Town of Warwick completed the building of a kennel facility on our current site making the concrete dog pound shack next to the Town dump a distant memory.  

Fortunately, in 1978, the Board once again amended their Charter renaming the organization the Warwick Valley Humane Society, Inc. and reduced its territory back to the Town of Warwick.   Without being designated as a Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), handling more that much of the County would have been impossible.  New York State Law outdatedly states that there can be only SPCA per County.  As the second oldest humane society in Orange County, we missed being assigned that designation.     

Jump ahead to 1990 when I joined the Board of Directors, noting that only dogs and a few cats were shelter residents at that time.  In 2000, I became President and put the word “humane” to full use allowing for the rescue of any domestic and farm animal including injured and orphaned wildlife which were immediately transferred to licensed wildlife rehabilitators.    Our shelter has housed rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, gerbils, ferrets, iguanas, turtles, parakeets and parrots, pigs, sheep, and goats.  We rescued and placed horses and cows with area farms and sanctuaries.   Our mission has expanded to include the investigation and alleviation of animal abuse, managing the SNR (spay-neuter-return) low-cost program for cats and the TNR (trap-neuter-release) volunteer based program for feral cats, implementing a foster program for special needs pets, and much more. Our new facility is a testament to the Board of Directors passion and dedication to the organization and it’s Charter.  

On May 19th, we are celebrating our 70th Birthday with a luncheon fundraiser at the Landmark Inn. Seating is still available for anyone who would like to join us for a scrumptious lunch and silent auction.  Happy 70th Birthday Warwick Valley Humane Society!    

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