More than two hundred people attended the auction and the annual Lions Club enchilada supper at St. Joseph Parish Hall in Fort Davis. Several area businesses donated gift certificates and many other auction items were drawn from donations to the Helping Hand Thrift and Gift Store. Volunteers contributed about 400 hours of their time to make the event possible.
"This $15,000, along with the Taylor Yarborough Memorial Fund, will allow us to start phase two of the new Adoption Center," said Laura Langham, the humane society's executive director.
The metal building and plumbing are already in place for the new adoption center on Compromise Street. Now the second phase of roof work, patios, porches and storage areas can be completed. The humane society hopes to begin phase three—finishing the building's interior—next year.
Also at Saturday's event, Langham announced the humane society will soon be changing its name to the Grand Companion Humane Society. Over the past few years, the group has begun serving more and more of the Big Bend region, and the new name will reflect that, Langham explained. They have rescued almost twice as many dogs and cats this year as in 2007, and more than half of those homeless animals came from outside Jeff Davis County.
