Event raises $85,000 for Florence no-kill animal shelter

FLORENCE — Florence’s homeless animal population is a few paw steps closer to a humane domain.

The third annual Bone-E-Fit, held May 7 at the home of Jane and Rex Huggins, raised $85,000, Bone-E-Fit Chairman Jeff Murrie announced this week.

“We were very, very pleased with the amount of money we were able to raise despite the current state of the economy,” Murrie said. “We’re already looking forward to the 4th Annual Bone-E-fit May 6, 2010.”

Since the first Bone-E-Fit in 2007, the event has steadily grown in popularity. Last year’s event raised more than $100,000. The goal of the event is to raise money for a no-kill animal shelter, but also to fund spay and neuter educational programs as well as operational costs after construction.

Florence Area Humane Society president Jayne Boswell said the community has raised about $350,000 toward the construction of a new 6,500 square-foot shelter, which is expected to cost about $950,000.

“It sounds pricey, but this building is nothing fancy,” Boswell said. “We wanted to make sure we had enough space to accommodate our animals and to have the dogs and cats in separate areas. We wanted a separate area for nursing mothers and an area to quarantine animals just coming in so that disease doesn’t spread. And we wanted an effective air flow system — again to stop the risk of disease spreading. All of these things are crucial. But we’ve designed this building to be as economical and effective as possible, and we’re proud of that.”

During the Bone-E-Fit, a representative of the estate of Josephine Mathis presented Florence Area Humane Society officials with a check for $350,000. Mathis died in March at age 79, and left everything she had to the humane society with the stipulation that it be used to fund a spay and neuter program.

Mathis’ donation provided the “seed money” needed to do that. And ultimately, Boswell said, she hopes it will evolve into an actual clinic at the shelter.

In addition to the money raised through the Bone-E-Fit and other donations, the humane society received a $250,00 grant from the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation to go toward construction of the shelter.

Humane society officials are waiting on funding from the city, Boswell said. The city committed to funding the project several years ago, but the details of that commitment seem to be up in the air as a result of the city’s current budget crunch.

“We’re ready to break ground as soon as the city figures out where the rest of the money is coming from,” Boswell said. “I think the humane society and the community have done their part.”

Florence City Council during a special meeting Monday adopted an operating budget of $64,716,500, but that budget doesn’t include adoption of the capital budget, which will be considered at another meeting. The capital budget consists of construction of major items.

Mayor Stephen J. Wukela said the budget passed Monday doesn’t provide any money for the proposed no-kill animal shelter, a new fire station, additional police officers, the operation of a tennis facility already under construction or the building of parking deck for the Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center to which the city is committed. Wukela proposed a millage increase to cover those commitments, but his proposal didn’t pass.

The humane society’s current shelter is located at 1007 Stockade Drive, off of National Cemetery Road, in Florence and is open from noon to 5 p.m. every day except Wednesday and Sunday. Call (843) 669-2921 for more information.