Humane Society needs new home

Published 10:34 pm Tuesday, April 19, 2011

The Suffolk Humane Society needs to find a new office to use for storage as well as to house homeless cats as they prepare for adoption. The society needs to move from its current location in Driver, shown, by June 1.

Like the dogs and cats it takes in, the Suffolk Humane Society is looking for a new home.

After about two years in its office in Driver, the society needs to move out of the space by June 1.

Volunteers are seeking a pet-friendly space with at least 500 square feet, exterior electrical service and parking space for the Neuter Scooter.

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Suffolk Humane uses its current office in Driver mostly for storage of pet-related items, education materials and other resources. The office also is used to house about 6 to 12 cats before they are placed for adoption at either the College Drive or Chesapeake Square PetSmart locations.

However, the organization always knew its Driver location was a temporary arrangement, and the property owner now needs the space.

Kay Hurley, director of community outreach for the organization, said the Society’s leaders have been actively looking for new office space, but they wanted to send out a request to the public for help.

“We’re hoping that the community will work with us, and there will be some individuals out there that will work with us,” she said.

Hurley said the society would like to remain in North Suffolk to be close to the PetSmart locations where Suffolk Humane displays adoptable cats and close to many of the homes of volunteers who foster pets. But she said they would be “wildly ecstatic” to have space anywhere in Suffolk.

The Suffolk Humane Society is a non-profit organization that relies only on donations and fundraising. It promotes animal welfare by supporting spay and neuter programs, finding homes for animals and encouraging responsible pet ownership.

Last year, Suffolk Humane adopted out more than 190 cats from its PetSmart locations and found homes for about 60 cats housed at Suffolk Animal Control.

Members also work with Suffolk Animal Control to find homes for dogs.

Getting a new office will help the organization continue to help the community and find new homes for pets, Hurley said.

“I think we’re doing really good things for the community, and having office space will help us do more,” she said. “It will help us save more lives.”

The humane society is a strictly local organization, is not affiliated with any other agency and receives no government funds.

To contact the Suffolk Humane Society about office space, call the office at 538-3030 and leave a message, call Kay Hurley at 377-8816 or send an email to info@suffolkhumanesociety.com.