Event to raise funds for humane society transport van

DARLINGTON — Barbecue is on the way from Schoolhouse Bar-B-Que in Scranton to help purchase a van to transport rescued animals from the Darlington County Animal Shelter to locations far and wide.

A barbecue fundraiser will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at the First Church of God. It is being led by Debbie Anderson, who has 10 dogs herself. Most of her dogs were rescued.

The fundraiser will focus on business from local businesses and take-out orders, although there will be plenty of room to dine in at the church, located at 620 N. Main St., Darlington.

“With times like they are today, rescue is about the only hope most of our unwanted animals have of surviving,” Anderson said. “The number of animal intakes is so much higher than the numbers that leave, which means many have to be put down every week just to make room.”

As an example, Anderson said, she and others volunteered Thanksgiving Day at the Darlington County Animal Shelter so the workers could have some time off. The week before, several litters of puppies had been brought in on top of a mother dog giving birth to nine puppies aat the shelter. The puppy population was boosted to 30 that week alone.

And several weeks before then, a volunteer took a litter of puppies home with her and hand-fed them because their mother wasn’t able to feed them.

“They have a hard enough time at the shelter keeping up with the adult dogs, much less dogs with puppies,” Anderson said. “We urge animal owners to spay and neuter because that will drastically cut down the unwanted animal population.”

There are rescue groups all over the country willing to take animals from the shelter if “we can just get them there,” Anderson said.

“We are currently either renting a cargo van and driving to New York or Pennsylvania,” she said. “This is expensive.

“And volunteers are driving smaller numbers in either the shelter van or in our personal vehicles on mini-legs toward an end destination. But this is cumbersome and sometimes falls through because someone somewhere drops the ball.

“We have already rescued hundreds this year and I hate to see us lose momentum now. I still get e-mails from the foster moms and new ‘parents’ of animals I’ve fostered who went on to be rescued. It’s so rewarding.”

IF YOU’RE GOING

WHAT: Darlington County Animal Shelter fundraiser

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday

WHERE: First Church of God, 620 N. Main St., Darlington

COST: $7 a plate

INFO: Call (843) 393-7942

ON THE WEB: http://www.fcgdarlington.net