HARDIN — Big Horn County currently lacks a dedicated shelter for stray animals, placing significant strain on local dog and cat rescue organizations.
Club Help Every Pet of Hardin is working to address this problem.
With a permanent space for operations, the organization has a dedicated home to care for the animals.
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“We had a step plan. We had ideas. And all of a sudden, we had cats everywhere,” said Club Help Every Pet vice president Loretta Barnes.
The facility, once a bank from the 1970s, now serves as a central hub for the organization and has since 2023.
The nonprofit does help dogs, but currently, the focus is on cats. It has around 30 cats in its care.
"We needed everything in the same spot where we could come and go,” Barnes explained.
Club Help Every Pet offers more than just shelter for strays and surrenders. The nonprofit provides low-cost vaccinations, a food pantry, and assistance with spaying and neutering.
“Very seldom do we have a vet bill per month that's under $2,000,” Barnes said. "We never say no. I mean if we can financially, I've never said no to anybody."
Behind the cute kittens and playful cats inside the old bank is a dedicated team dealing with the harsh realities of the daily work.
“I think the survival rate of kittens born outside is 1 in 6... I've lost more kittens this last year due to diseases they had before they got here,” Barnes said. "It would make such a significant difference if we could spay and neuter them all. Vaccinated even."
Janelle Weinberg, president of the nonprofit, also emphasized the importance of spaying and neutering to manage the stray population.
“If we spayed and neutered eventually, we would get a handle on it,” she said. "We want to do more. We really do. We really do for our community."
Weinberg has worked with Help Every Pet since she was 18 and knows its impact on the community and animals.
“These animals are amazing. Every one of them has a personality that just wants to be loved,” Weinberg said. "If we give every dog a chance, no matter if it's been abused or neglected, that eventually in the right hands, they'll come around and you just look into their eyes and you see that they just they want to be loved."
To continue their efforts, Club Help Every Pet is seeking donations of food, towels, and monetary contributions.
For more information on how to help, visit Club Help Every Pet's website.
