Humane Society joins #GivingTuesday movement

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The Hawaii Island Humane Society joined #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide.

The Hawaii Island Humane Society joined #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide.

“We have set a one-day HIHS fundraising goal of $10,000 for #GivingTuesday. Contributions received will help offset ongoing costs for medical and general expenses related to animals in our care,” said Donna Whitaker, HIHS executive director. “Even healthy dogs that arrive on our shelter doorsteps stay for weeks while they await adoption, and that adds up to a lot of food and supplies!”

Expenses are not just for basic supplies. Often, medical treatments are required to rehabilitate an animal before adoption. Captain Oreo, a cat brought to HIHS with a severe eye injury, underwent a successful surgery for eye removal by the HIHS veterinarian. His recovery, along with antibiotics and pain medication, is underway and Captain Oreo now is available for adoption since he is fully healed.

The mission of the Hawaii Island Humane Society is to promote respect for all animals, prevent cruelty to animals, eliminate pet overpopulation and enhance the bond between humans and animals, Whitaker said. HIHS holds a contract with the County of Hawaii to enforce certain animal-related laws and it offers 24-hour service for injured animals and other animal emergencies, humane education classes, low-cost spay and neuter services, lost and found assistance, microchipping and more.

“We are touched by generosity every day at HIHS and we hope #GivingTuesday inspires and encourages even more members from our community to contribute,” Whitaker said.

Occurring this year Dec. 1, #GivingTuesday is hosted annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday kickoff the holiday giving season and inspire people to collaborate in improving their local communities and to give back in impactful ways to the charities and causes they support.

Those interested in joining Hawaii Island Humane Society’s #GivingTuesday initiative can visit www.firstgiving.com/HIHS/givingtuesday. For more details about #GivingTuesday, visit hihs.org or the #GivingTuesday website (www.givingtuesday.org), Facebook page (www.facebook.com/GivingTuesday) or follow @GivingTues and the #GivingTuesday hashtag on Twitter.