Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Pound Friends Thank Volunteers
PRAIRIE GROVE — Friends of Prairie Grove Pound recently held its annual Christmas party to thank its Facebook followers and many volunteers who helped throughout 2016.
Board members also used the party as an opportunity to publicly recognize several individuals for their assistance.
Laura Jones was given a “Hero of the Year” award for picking up a stray chocolate lab in Prairie Grove. The lab was reunited with its owners from Pea Ridge and had been missing for seven years.
Gina Lujbec was named the Volunteer of the Year.
“Gina’s always there when we need her,” said Sharon Glover, a member of the board of directors. “She especially helps with the spay-neuter cat clinic and is there at the beginning and stays until the last kitty is gone.”
Glover also handed out certificates for Paw Prints of Appreciation to Prairie Grove Police Department, Don and Sharon Short, Holly Kinser and Sandy Sturgeon for all going above and beyond in helping the Friends organization this year.
Volunteers with Friends help in many ways, Glover said. They foster dogs, adopt dogs, help with fundraisers and help with meet and greet events at Tractor Supply in Farmington.
“This would not be possible without all these great volunteers,” Glover said.
Through Dec. 2, Prairie Grove Pound has taken in 370 animals in 2016 — 178 dogs and 192 cats.
Of the total, Glover said, about 32 percent were returned to their homes, about 10 percent transferred to other rescues and the majority, about 58 percent, were rehomed.
The group has an extensive network that it uses to provide for animals that come into Prairie Grove Pound. This network, mostly through Facebook, is used to find foster homes, adoption homes and rescues for animals. The city of Prairie Grove has a contract to take animals to Washington County Animal Shelter but has not had to use the shelter because of the work by Friends of Prairie Grove Pound on behalf of animals in Prairie Grove.