In November, the Brookings Humane Society made their financial struggles known to the public. If they couldn’t raise enough funds, the Humane Society feared their doors would close by the end of the month.

After a few weeks, the Brookings community raised enough money to support the Humane Society through February, until their next major fundraising event.

We, at The Collegian, were thrilled to see our community come together and support the Humane Society. However, we hope this is not the end of strong community support for the Humane Society. We hope to see these efforts continue.

The Brookings Humane Society is operating with less money and they need our consistent support now more than ever. Brookings City Council awards an annual grant to help the Humane Society operate, but this year that funding was cut.

Now, the Humane Society heavily relies upon community support, donations and their monthly fundraising events. These events, usually partnering with local businesses, are a great time to help support the Humane Society as well as get to know their staff and other community members. Sometimes, you might even get to meet some of the furry dwellers of the Humane Society.

The Humane Society is well-integrated into our community through their partnerships with businesses for fundraising and their cheerful presence at public events. A humane society is an integral part of any community, because they lessen the number of stray animals, as well as vaccinate and spay and neuter animals.

But the Brookings Humane Society goes above and beyond those services and is a particularly special part of our community. They support our students by bringing animals to socialize with us on Main Street in The Union during Midterms and Finals Week. They can also be found at the Farmer’s Market during the summer.

Considering their tireless work to support our community and care for our animals, the least we can do is offer our support in return.

For our staff, the Humane Society is where our pets have come from. It’s where we go when we are stressed and want the emotional relief our furry friends bring.

We, at The Collegian, encourage others on campus and in the community to remember the Humane Society, not just when they are in times of need, but always. As a staff, we hope to do our part and support them in the future, and we hope others will make this commitment, too.

Whether you donate HyVee receipts, dog food, cat litter, an hour of your time, or some spare cash, the Humane Society is grateful for community support and they depend on us to help our animals thrive.