Ashley Scott’s introduction five months ago to the Leflore County Humane Society’s shelter was the result of a misunderstanding.
Since then, the 42-year-old Greenwood homemaker says, helping abandoned, neglected or abused cats and dogs has become her “new passion.”
Scott brought that passion Tuesday to the Greenwood Rotary Club, where she shared her experience at the shelter and her hopes for adding to the relatively new facility in the Greenwood-Leflore Industrial Park.
Scott, who serves on the executive committee of the United Way of Leflore County, said she had been devoting most of her volunteer efforts to assisting people in need. A dog owner, she liked animals but it wasn’t until this past April that she became fired up about assisting the no-kill shelter, which cares for about 150 dogs and cats at any one time.
Scott laughs when she tells the story.
A women’s group at First Presbyterian Church, where she is a member, had a donation for the Humane Society. Scott misunderstood, thinking the check was for the Community Food Pantry, where she also volunteers. She offered to drop it off.
After discovering the error, she decided to hand-deliver the check to the animal shelter.
When she arrived, she said, she was handed a “poop scooper” and directed to help clean up the cages in a room full of cats.
She said she spent nearly a full day there, not just cleaning the cages but showering affection on the cats and kittens. She held them, hugged them and kissed the tops of their heads.
The next day she ran into Aubrey Whittington, the longtime president of the Humane Society, who thanked Scott for helping out in the “fungus room.” Unknown to Scott, the Humane Society uses the room to isolate cats with ringworm or other contagious skin disorders.
After a brief panic, in which Scott scrubbed herself down with antimicrobial soap, she decided she had a new calling. A month ago, she joined the Humane Society’s board.
“You’re helping those who can’t help themselves,” she said. “Animals have to have someone stand up for them.”
Her husband, Solon Scott III, has accommodated her newfound devotion to the shelter and its occupants. A one-eyed cat named Patchy has joined the Scott household. And for her birthday this year, Solon met his wife’s wish by dispatching a crew from America’s Catch, the catfish processing plant he heads, to spend the day helping her accomplish several fix-up projects at the shelter.
The 9,250-square-foot facility, which opened in 2020, is a great improvement over the previous longtime shelter on Ione Street. Ashley Scott has an idea for making it even better.
She has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise $10,000 to create an outdoor enclosure where sick animals can get fresh air and exercise for part of the day. Should the fundraising fall short of the goal, she has a backup plan.
“If I don’t quite make it, there are always Christmas presents and birthday presents,” she said.
She encouraged members of the civic club to get involved by adopting or fostering a shelter pet, by helping with the daily care of the animals or by donating money or supplies, such as pet food or cleaning materials. A full list of needs can be seen at www.leflorecountyhumanesociety.org.
Scott said she feels uplifted every time she goes to the shelter, where she is greeted by dozens of cats and dogs eager to see her.
“I need them as much as they need me,” she said.
- Contact Tim Kalich at 662-581-7243 or tkalich@gwcommonwealth.com.
