Humane society kicks off centennial celebration with time capsule

When the time capsule buried Wednesday outside the Humane Society of Washington County is opened in 50 years, among the items found will be a humane society-themed face mask, an annual report, a dog ID tag marking the nonprofit's 100th anniversary and an inventory of the 206 animals in shelter care on Wednesday morning.

There were 143 cats, 46 dogs, three guinea pigs, a rabbit and 13 rats at the shelter. There also were four cats and four dogs in fospice care — foster parents providing hospice care to animals, and 166 cats, 13 dogs, and a bird in foster care, humane officials said.

The time capsule was buried during a kick-off event for the yearlong celebration of the nonprofit's 100th anniversary.

"For me, we didn't get to this point in history alone," Executive Director Colin Berry said after the presentation.

The nonprofit has had "so many supporters and players" help save tens of thousands of animals in those first 100 years, she said.

More: The Humane Society of Washington County needs foster care families

The exact number of animals saved in the past 100 years isn't known. Record-keeping has improved over time, with Berry estimating more than 25,000 animals were saved in the past decade.

The humane society won't make it the next 100 years without such support, Berry said. That includes volunteers, adopters, fosterers, donors and people who attend its events.

Berry said the humane society always needs people to foster animals.

That is a particular need now as kitten season, which usually wraps up in October, is still going on after a warm season, Berry said. The animals primarily in foster care now are kittens. The nonprofit can have up to 300 kittens in foster care in the summer, she said.

Humane society at-a-glance

The humane society has been operating under a 21-year-old contract with Washington County government to supply animal-control services in the county, Berry said. The contract is being renegotiated this spring.

Three county commissioners, President Jeff Cline and Commissioners Randy Wagner and Charlie Burkett, were among the elected officials at the presentation.

Of the humane society's almost $2.5 million annual budget for the 2019-2020 fiscal year, the county contract accounts for 55% of revenue, according to a copy of an annual report that was buried in the time capsule.

Contributions, grants and events fund 25%, with programs and services paying for 17%. The source of the remaining 3% was listed as "other."

The humane society has 48 employees.

Among the centennial celebration fundraisers mentioned Wednesday was an upcoming gala at The Maryland Theatre, personalized bricks that will be installed in the sidewalk in front of the humane society's building, and 2022 wall calendars featuring alumni animals.

Humane society's history

Daisy Derby Whipple founded the Washington County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or SPCA, on Nov. 12, 1921, humane society spokeswoman Noel Fridgen Cordell said.

Whipple was "a very active Hagerstonian" with a great love for animals, Cordell said. Whipple founded the group after a friend informed her about a local animal cruelty case and became distraught.

She had 12 animals in her care at the start.

The first local SPCA office was a one-room building on South Boulevard, or what is now called Wilson Boulevard, according to Cordell and Marketing Coordinator Kylee Seymour. It moved to its current 13011 Maugansville Road site in 1938. The current building is the third one the humane society has had at that site.

In 1938, an animal control officer lived on the property, responding 24/7 to calls about lost or at-large animals.

Whipple remained president of the SPCA until the early 1950s when Margaret Stickell took the position, though Whipple remained involved, humane society officials said.

More: Cats, dogs from massive rescue operation resting at Washington County humane society

The SPCA announced a name change to a humane society in October 1999, according to Herald-Mail archives.

A documentary about the humane society's history will be presented during the Nov. 13 gala. Then the video will be posted on the humane society's website, Facebook page and YouTube channel.

What about those rats?

As for the rats, they included about a dozen someone found in a taped-up box by a lake at the former Fort Ritchie property around six weeks ago, Berry said. They had health issues, including skin conditions.

One of the rats could not be saved, one was adopted and the rest were transferred Wednesday to a Pennsylvania rat rescue, Berry said.

Rats are "very intelligent little creatures" and can be trained, she said.

More: 112 dogs, cats rescued from unsanitary conditions in Hancock area

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Humane Society of Washington County kicks off centennial celebration