Wet, soapy, furry fun

Dog wash benefits local humane society

Jacob Earnest has been participating in the annual Callaway County Humane Society's dog wash for years, and this year he brought along his fiance, Kaitlyn Harleman.
Jacob Earnest has been participating in the annual Callaway County Humane Society's dog wash for years, and this year he brought along his fiance, Kaitlyn Harleman.

By the time Jacob Earnest was on his 15th dog, his clothes were pretty wet.

"I'm soaked," he said, cradling a large, soapy canine.

Earnest was volunteering to help wash dogs last weekend at Fulton Dog Park, an event put on annually by volunteers with the Callaway County Humane Society.

"This year, I brought my fiance, Kaitlyn Harleman," said Earnest, who is a huge help to the society and loves animals.

He and Harleman were giving a bath to Kruger, a 1 1/2-year-old black lab/shepherd mix owned by Kyra Tomkins and family, of Fulton.

"He's the dog who curls up on your lap," Tomkins said. "He's a big baby."

Sandy Corbet of the Callaway County Humane Society said the county government is helping them out with a small amount of funding for spay/neuter programs, making the society eligible for certain grants as well.

"We just kicked off a new discount spay/neuter program for dogs in Callaway County for 2019," Corbet said. "We are working with some of the vets in Callaway County to achieve a goal of 365 spays or neuters in 2019. We have been working for years to get the county commissioners to give financial support for spay/neuter programs and they came through this year."

This program will offer dog owners a $25 voucher and local veterinarians will give an additional discount.

"This is the first discount spay/neuter program offered in Callaway County (for dogs)," she added. "The cost will vary depending on the vet clinic, but the savings will be substantial and really help people who have not been able to afford the surgery in the past."

A spay and neuter program is also available for cats. Society representatives will be at the Fulton Street Fair, June 22-23 with a booth. The next event is the Dog Jog 5K Run/Walk at the Fulton Dog Park at 8 a.m. Sept. 8, and then Santa Paws on Dec. 8 at the John C. Harris Community Center.

To learn more, visit callawaycountyhumanesociety.org or call 573-826-5656, or catch up on the humane society's Facebook page.