AUSTINBURG — The Ashtabula County Humane Society is celebrating National Adopt a Cat month by educating the public about what they do, their needs and the animals they have up for adoption.

Although it is adopt a cat month, the Ashtabula County Humane Society also has dogs, horses and a rabbit available for an adoption fee.

The fee, ranging from $85 for cats and $125 for dogs, but that includes neutering/ spaying and all of the animal’s shots.

More cats come into the shelter in June than any other month, so it’s no surprise someone left four kittens in a box at the door Wednesday.

“There’s a gray, a black and white and two tigers with white,” said Pat Bryner, a humane agent and volunteer. “We have several grown cats, as well.”

The cats are kept in three large rooms at the Humane Society’s headquarters at 2806 Route 307, next to the town hall.

The Ashtabula County Humane Society is a non-profit animal welfare agency that receives support from donations and fundraisers.

They provide low-cost spay and neuter programs for  responsible pet owns and perform humane investigation to protect animals from suffering, as well as a source for adoptable, healthy pets in northeast Ohio.

They need more volunteers, donations and a new shelter.

Area residents often confuse the Humane Society with the Animal Protective League (APL), which is on Green Road in Kingsville Township, Bryner said.

“We are two separate organizations,” she said. “The APL is funded by the county; we are not. We run strictly on donations, membership fees and fundraisers.”

The group also is looking for a new shelter where they can house the animals until “forever homes” are found, Bryner said. “Right now we do the best we can with what we got, housing only cats at the shelter and fostering out dogs, rabbits and horses.”

The shelter in Austinburg does have room for the cats and several clean litter boxes, cat condominiums and toys are provided for the frisky felines. Volunteers keep the rooms clean, cats healthy and there is absolutely no ammonia or cat smell in the building.

“We do the best we can,” Bryner said. “We scrub and scoop the litter boxes several times a day.”

But, because there is no room for outside runs for dogs or horses, those animals are kept in foster homes throughout the county.

Humane Agent Kim Wolbridge and her mother, Humane Agent Martha Hills foster and care for horses, as well as dogs and cats.

“I have a soft sport in my heart for horses,” said Wolbridge, whose background is in law enforcement. “We encourage people to do the right thing and educate them (on how to care for large animals).”

Hills said sometimes people buy large animals and don’t know how or can’t afford to care for them and the economy is making the situation worse. That’s where the Humane Society can help, and Hills, who is a retired teacher, educates people.

“We don’t want to take people’s animals,” Wolbridge said. “We want to educate them.”

Hills said animals are an extension of family and she became a volunteer because she wants to help people care for their animals.

“We want to work with people,” Bryner said.

Nancy Frazier, chairman of the Humane Society, said she’s proud of her volunteers.

“They are dedicated to animals,” she said. “We all get comfort knowing we help animals.”

Wolbridge said, “We try to do the best we can with what little we have.”

Volunteers who provide foster homes are given the food for the animal and money for veterinarian bills.

There is only a handful of volunteers right now trying to keep up with the enormous needs of the animals in this county. If you can spare a couple of hours a month call 440-969-6100. Leave your name and number and someone will get back to you.

To see some of the animals up for adoption go to adopt.dogtime.com/shelters/816-ashtabula-county-humane-society-jefferson-oh.

A Humane Society membership is $15 a year for one, $25 for a couple, or $300 for a lifetime.

You can also sponsor a pet: $20 a month for a cat; $30 for a dog, and $50 a month for a horse.

Frazier said business sponsors are needed to help out with larger needs, and remember the Humane Society is a non-profit agency. Call 440-969-6100 or send check to Ashtabula County Humane Society, P.O. Box 422, Jefferson, OH 44047.