Members of the Leflore County Humane Society have separated themselves from an auxiliary unit that has helped raise about $10,000 for the shelter.
Kim Brown, a spokeswoman for Friends of the Shelter, said Friday she was told by a Humane Society board member of the decision.
Aubrey Whittington, president of the Humane Society board, confirmed by saying the Friends had been "disbanded" and the Humane Society isn't connected with any volunteer organization.
"If someone wants to singularly come out there, we'll hand them an industrial mop and put them to work," said Whittington.
The move to disband the group of volunteers comes after a flurry of letters was published in the Commonwealth about the shelter - some critical and others praising - its operation under the Humane Society.
Dr. Anita Batman, a volunteer at the shelter, wrote a letter that pointed to issues at the site, including what she said were low adoption rates, uncleanliness and unreliability of the staff to be there during posted hours of business.
As a result of the critical letters, the shelter's part-time director, Barbara Smith, resigned her post. In reaction to Smith quitting, the Humane Society closed the shelter. It will remain closed until the Humane Society board can hire a new director.
Whittington said for 33 years the shelter operated without the assistance of an organization. "I believe the Friends were well-meaning but they had probably poor direction," she said.
Friends doesn't have much formal direction at all, according to Brown. There are no officers. Nobody pays dues.
Instead, it is a loosely connected group of of about 30 volunteers, who take on jobs based on their areas of expertise.
Those volunteers and others who have taken an interest in homeless animals will meet at 5:30 p.m. at Brown's house to discuss Friends' future.
"A lot of us choose to feel optimistic that something positive will com out of this," Brown said.
Friends organized last August to help alleviate some issues at the shelter caused by lack of money and volunteers.
"The interest was there, and we presented it to the board," Brown said. "After they saw the enthusiasm and how much money we were probably going to pull in, they voted to put us under their non-private organization."
Friends successfully raised $9,000 in a benefit Halloween party at The Alluvian. Additionally, the group raise another $400 with pet flickers - lights on a Christmas tree outside City Hall, Brown said.
The Humane Society board was given the money to use at its discretion, Brown said.
Friends also solicited donations from area garden clubs to help landscape the shelter site. Brown said a fence on the property needed repairing but she didn't know who would do the work.
A couple of young people had birthday parties to which people brought donations for the shelter instead of presents for the celebrant.
Further, volunteers took animals out and displayed them, so people could see and perhaps adopt them.
At the shelter, Friends would volunteer to answer the telephone on Wednesdays or go out and work on the site's landscape.
But in the months that Friends went out to the shelter, they weren't allowed to go back to the pens and work with the animals. They weren't trained.
Late last summer, Friends received a list of expectations from the Humane Society. That list included cleaning cages, cleaning dog pens, washing windows, walking dogs, washing feed pans and litter pans, among other items.
Friends were asked to give 24-hours notice if they couldn't come on their rotation, so Smith could arrange schedules. Friends also were asked not to get a substitute without Smith's permission.
"There will not be a volunteer schedule 'il you are trained," a note at the bottom of the sheet states.
That initial list was revised twice. The last appeared more formal and was called "The Volunteer Orientation Packet."
The packet was intended for use at a May 23 training session of volunteers. Volunteers showed up but Smith had cancelled because the packet was not ready.
The packet outlines a day for volunteers, which begins at 1 p.m. On the top of the list is cleaning.
"We may have over 100 animals in the shelter on any given day, and all cages must be cleaned," the narrative states.
That work to keep the cages clean and the animals cared for continues without the assistance of the Friends, Whittington said.
She spoke of several people who had pitched in to help tend to the animals at the shelter.
A city of Greenwood work crew arrived Friday to help with cleaning, Whittington said.
"They are cooperating," she said. "We need real official manpower. We need people who are going to get in there and do it."
- For more information about the Friends meeting Thursday, contact Kim Brown at 453-4392.
