Animal-Loving Community Supports Yard Sale

The sky is gray and overcast, rain is coming down in a constant drizzle and the threat of tropical storm Andrea looms in the air. Despite all of this, a constant flow of cars brings a sizeable crowd to an animal shelter in Harford County where staff members, volunteers and Good Samaritans work to improve the lives of homeless animals.

The Humane Society of Harford County (HSHC) raised $3,300 to support homeless and neglected animals during their Yard Sale and Bake Sale event held on June 7 and 8.

“A lot of work goes into events like this and the others that occur nonstop every month,” said HSHC Executive Director Mary Leavens. “Rain or shine, the dedicated community is here to support the animals.”

HSHC staff and volunteers spent days under the hot sun unloading boxes filled with the donations of community members to the yard sale, and still showed up with umbrellas and rain coats the next day to help the event run smoothly.

Shelves lined with everything from Christmas decorations to wizard beards filled a barn typically filled with cat litter and dog bowls. Baked goods, drinks and t-shirts emblazoned with pro-animal slogans made the event into more than your typical yard sale. With something for everyone with a few dollars to spare, the rainy weather during the weekend didn’t stop community members from showing their support for the HSHC either.

“I wanted to support the Humane Society and help with their expansion,” said local resident Mary Smith. “They do good work.”

The plans for expansion include a large new building as well as an improved parking lot. The new building will help to hold animals, supplies and staff that can no longer find space in the decades-old-home once owned by Elsa Voss, who started the shelter in 1947.

But even with the success of the yard sale and their bright plans for the future, the men and women who work and volunteer at the shelter are already making plans for the next fundraisers in order to meet the ever-growing demands of the cats, dogs, horses, pigs and all manner of critters that call the HSHC home.

The shelter needs to raise over $450,000 every year. Events like the yard sale, the “Bow Wow Boogie” and the up and coming Basket Bingo night are constantly being planned, prepared and held in order to meet the goals of the organization and keep the animals fed and healthy.

The yard sale event was just one battle in the long war of finding a “forever home” for every animal at the HSHC, but with tireless dedication from employees and the community, the animals can move a little closer to victory every day.

This story was written by Pete Hicks, an intern at the Humane Society of Harford County.