Kitty Ray was in town Tuesday to take four dogs to the veterinarian for checkups, deliver one dog to Jon Six and collect donations from Parkersburg area residents.
Ray and her assistants at the Ritchie County Humane Society shelter feel blessed by the outpouring of support from this area after 31 malnourished dogs were brought to them on June 3. The dogs, many with severe mange, had been abandoned along Sugar Run Road in Doddridge County.
Early this week, Six of Belpre had collected and delivered $5,256, 400-500 pounds of dog food, cleaning supplies and towels to the Ritchie County Humane Society to help the abandoned dogs. About 100 people answered Six's plea for assistance, with more donations still expected.
Six agreed to foster one of the Ritchie dogs, which was hiding in a storage bucket when he arrived at the shelter.
"The dogs looked a lot better on Monday," Six said. "The shelter workers have done a lot for the dogs in a short time."
"People have really come to our aid," said Ray, volunteer shelter director and humane society board president. "We have received everything we need. Without the donations, we could not do it."
But more money and supplies will be needed in the future, Ray said.
For now, the abandoned dogs are in a loving environment and not in cages, said Ray, who has spent 20 years at the Ritchie County Humane Society shelter. Rescue groups have adopted some of the dogs.
About 20 of the abandoned dogs remain in Ritchie County, along with the shelter's other dogs and cats.
This isn't the first time the Ritchie County Humane Society has faced a crisis. In January 2010, fire destroyed the Ritchie shelter, killing about 60 animals.
A new shelter is expected to be completed in a few months to replace a makeshift building.
Ray said the abandoned dogs have been a "blessing" to the workers at the humane society.
"We are falling in love with them and happy to find them good homes," she said.
***
Stories will be flying around Mary's Plane View Restaurant at the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport next Wednesday. People associated with the airport, including air traffic controllers, pilots, airline employees, maintenance crew and airport workers, will gather for the annual reunion at 11:30 a.m. Retired air traffic controller Steve Stanley of Vienna and retired USAir pilot Larry Burfield of Reno, Ohio, are looking forward to the airport gathering. Stanley said attendees eat lunch, visit with old friends, tell stories and look at old photographs of the airport. It is a great way to catch up on old times, Stanley said. "It's a good time, meeting with people you haven't seen for a while," said Burfield, who took his first flying lesson at Stewart Airport in the 1950s. Anybody having any dealings with the local airport can attend, Stanley said.
***
The Motorized Unit of the Parkersburg Nemesis Shrine raised $8,000-$9,000 at last Saturday's benefit golf scramble at Worthington Golf Club, with 140 golfers participating. Proceeds go to Shrine projects that help children, said Fred Tipper, golf tournament co-chairman with Dave Sheridan. Some of the tournament money is used to transport area children and their families to Shriners Hospitals for Children, Tipper said. At least half of the tournament prize money was donated back to the Shrine. The winning team of Jim Summers, Tyler Shank, Ben Palmer and Colby James shot a 17-under par 54.
***
About $4,000 was raised for cardiopulmonary services at Camden Clark Medical Center and the "Out of the Darkness Walk," a suicide prevention support group effort, at the Mountaineer Parrothead Club's Island Fest 2012 party at Bicentennial Park in Parkersburg June 2. Cecil Childress, event spokesman, said he was pleased with the event that attracted about 300 people, including members of the Northeast Ohio Parrothead Club.
Contact Paul LaPann at plapann@newsandsentinel.com
