DATE: Friday, August 8, 1997                TAG: 9708060176

SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS     PAGE: 06   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Cover Story 

SOURCE: BY DORIS TOWNSLEY, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:  119 lines

IT'S ALL ABOUT LIFE: PORTSMOUTH HUMANE SOCIETY TURNS 50 YEARS OLD

THERE WAS AS MUCH smiling as tail wagging going on as Judy Barnes and her daughter, Janie, held their new dog, Tamone. Barnes and her daughter were adopting Tamone from the Portsmouth Humane Society's Animal Shelter, at 2704 Frederick Blvd.

It was a happy occasion.

But not all prospective pets housed at the shelter are as fortunate as Tamone. According to Keith Jeter, the society's executive director, about 1,000 animals had to be euthanized since the beginning of the year alone.

``Since January 1, we received roughly 1,700 animals,'' he said. ``We have adopted about 350. The owners have come in and reclaimed roughly about 250. We had about 100 here in the shelter at all times. That leaves the remainder that we've had to put to sleep.''

Yet, despite this fact, shelter employees and those involved with the society have not become disheartened. As they celebrate the Portsmouth Humane Society's 50th anniversary this year, they recall the society's humble beginnings, its struggles and its triumphs.

In 1889, one woman set out to prevent cruelty to animals. Her name was Anne Macon West Hope, and she established the first Humane Society in Portsmouth.

``She would have meetings with young people in her home,'' said Mary Hope Magann, Hope's granddaughter, ``and would give them little buttons with pictures of animals on them that they could pin on their lapel.''

As part of this first society's mission, Hope and a humane officer would patrol the city, citing cases of animal abuse and bring them before the court.

After Hope's death in 1943, the society was disbanded.

However, in 1947, Bessie Aldrich, a Portsmouth resident, decided to place an ad in the local newspaper, encouraging anyone interested in forming a new society to contact her. The first meeting of this new society was held at the YMCA on May 9, 1947. Three months later, it was chartered as the Portsmouth Humane Society.

Recorded stories abound from the society's early years. There were 35 original members. Pencils were sold on the street at 2 cents a piece in order to raise money to build an animal shelter. The first building was constructed in 1949 on Airline Boulevard, and was dedicated in honor of Anne Hope. The shelter was almost closed due to lack of funds, but a plea to the community kept the open and the society doing their good work.

With the financial help of Portsmouth residents, the group transported sick animals to the shelter in its own ambulance.

``That was before the city had any organized animal control,'' said Helen Chapman, a member of the board of directors who has been involved with the society for 27 years.

Eventually, the society raised funds to build a new shelter on Frederick Boulevard. However, overcrowding soon became an apparent problem.

``It was a very simple building,'' Chapman said. ``It was very inadequate.''

So in 1980, the society built its a new shelter, a state-of-the-art facility with the capacity to house 85 dogs and 48 cats.

``This new shelter, this current shelter down there, is a model shelter,'' said Max Chapman, the society's president of 20 years, ``and I don't think you'll find many in the state of Virginia as nice as this one.''

Despite the new facility, overcrowding is still a problem. However, employees are doing what they can to ensure that the shelter animals are given a chance at life.

``It's all about life,'' Jeter said, who explained that he has even converted pet `taxies' into temporary living accommodations when the shelter reached full capacity, rather than to resort to euthanasia. ``I keep them as long as I can.''

Liesa Gray, the shelter's kennel supervisor, is also doing her part. Since she bears the burden of euthanizing the shelter animals and sitting with them while they die, Gray makes an extra effort to see that each animal brought in is adoptable.

``There's a little silver tabby that we had,'' she said, as she relayed what was one of her many success stories. ``She was wild. You couldn't touch her.''

Gray spent every day with the kitten, developing innovative techniques to tame it. And eventually she did.

``She got to be one of the best cats in here and she went (a) home,'' she said. ``But it took us about eight weeks, every day, messing with her, and picking her up.''

Still, as more and more animals are brought to the shelter, the overcrowding remains a problem. And shelter employees can only do so much. In an effort to gain more community involvement, the society has hired Elizabeth Coburn, a full-time humane educator.

Coburn, who has been on board since January, is responsible for a variety of educational programs, which she has begun in the local schools and clubs around Hampton Roads. In addition, she has taken shelter pets into local nursing homes, hospitals and retirement homes, for what she calls ``pet therapy.'' This program, according to Coburn, allows the patients or residents to visit with the animals without coming to the shelter.

And while, this raises awareness in the community, it also serves benefits for the community.

``It's a great health benefit,'' Coburn said. ``It's been shown that it lowers blood pressure.''

Sam, one of the shelter cats that often accompanies Coburn, seems to be a favorite.

``I took him to Portsmouth General,'' Coburn said. ``They adored that cat. I took him to the retirement home in Churchland. They loved him there too.''

While Coburn enjoys the pet therapy program, she said that the most important part of her job is spreading awareness and teaching pet responsibility, such as vaccinating, tagging, and spaying and neutering pets. She believes that making people aware of their responsibility as pet owners is a step in the right direction in addressing the overcrowding problem that plagues the shelter.

In addition, Coburn is hoping that through these community awareness and education programs, she will see more people become involved with the shelter. She encourages people she meets to come in and have a look around, or better yet, volunteer.

``The more people we have,'' she said, ``the better chance we have, the better chance the animals have.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo on cover by RICHARD L. DUNSTON

Staff photos/RICHARD L. DUNSTON

E. Keith Jeter, above, executive director of Portsmouth Humane

Society helps to make sure that little girls like Judy Barnes,

below, can adopt healthy dogs like Tinone. The society has been

serving Portsmouth for 50 years. The shelter on Frederick Blvd.

houses dogs, cats and other animals waiting to be adopted into a

caring family.

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