Scotland County humane society asks for more foster homes as animal-control review begins

Jennifer Miller, a board member and former staffer with the Scotland County Humane Society, told the Scotland County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 2 that the shelter needs more foster homes and described the program’s requirements.

Miller said the program currently has about five active foster households and typically sends one dog or cat to a home at a time unless a litter requires multiple placements. She described basic requirements for foster volunteers: current household pets must be up to date on vaccinations (or provide a veterinarian’s exemption), animals must be spayed or neutered when appropriate, and the shelter conducts meet-and-greets and behavioral checks to ensure compatibility. The shelter provides food, blankets and vetting; foster families are generally asked to transport animals for veterinary appointments and adoption events when possible.

The request came amid a countywide discussion of animal-control ordinances. Commissioner O’Neil told the board he has seen strong public concern about animal housing in recent weeks and asked staff to organize a public forum that would include the health department, the City of Laurinburg and the humane society so residents can learn about local efforts and offer input. Managerial staff said they are revising animal-control rules and invited community involvement during that process.

Miller offered to supply flyer materials and follow up with shelter leadership on outreach; board members asked staff to coordinate promotion and to consider using county channels and social media to recruit foster volunteers. No formal action was taken; staff said they will bring further information back to the board as outreach plans develop.