Good Shepherd adds two new board members

Good Shepherd Humane Society has

two new faces on its board.

On Wednesday, Dec. 20, the board

agreed to add Terri Paris and Debbie

Smith as board members. Paris said she’s

been in the area for more than 20 years,

starting out at the Greater Eureka Springs

Chamber of Commerce. She works at Best

Western Inn of the Ozarks now, Paris said,

and wants to give back to Good Shepherd

after finding her dog there.

“I have a few ideas, and I’d like to be

part of the board and an asset,” Paris said.

Smith said she lived in Fayetteville

for years, teaching elementary school for

most of her career. She and her husband

built a home on the Kings River as a second

home, Smith said, and that quickly

became their only home.

“We loved it so much we’re here full

time,” Smith said. “We sold our Fayetteville

house.”

She’s interested in joining the board,

Smith said, because she’s been a frequent

visitor of the Humane Society Thrift

Shops and has adopted three animals from

the shelter.

“I’m very interested in being involved,

just because I really want to take part in

my community and be a contributor up

here,” Smith said. “It’s a new adventure

for us.”

Also at the meeting, treasurer Mark

Minton presented the financial report.

Minton said Good Shepherd has lost a little

more than $6,000 year-to-date, anticipating

a loss of $3,000 by the end of the

fiscal year. The loss is because of shortfalls

in grant revenue and shelter improvements,

Minton said.

“Those were the big contributors to our

year-end information going over,” Minton

said.

President Jay Fusaro said the board will

budget differently in 2018, taking this

year’s struggles in consideration. It’s best

not to budget for grant revenue, Fusaro

said.

“I think that was an oversight going

into this year’s budget, and it’s caused us

problems, so I would suggest that we don’t

budget for grant revenue,” Fusaro said.

“It’s real spotty.”

He added that the shelter received a

large amount of miscellaneous donations,

saying that’s a good sign.

“I do think that’s something we should

be very proud of,” Fusaro said. “That’s a

big number that came in for the year. It

means there’s a lot of support from the

community.”

Assistant shelter manager Kathy Cobb

presented the shelter report for November,

saying the

shelter took in seven dogs and six cats

in that time. The shelter adopted out four

dogs, two kittens, four cats and four puppies,

Cobb said, with two dogs being returned

to the shelter. Eureka Springs High

School FFA students toured the shelter

Dec. 12, Cobb said, and Carroll County

Electric sent crews to clear the area behind

the shelter for dog walkers Dec. 15.

“They had some extra time after they

cleared our trail in the back, so they

walked some dogs,” Cobb said.

Thrift store manager Janet Chupp updated

the board on how the stores are doing,

saying the budget looks good for the

year. That’s because volunteers have been

selling items on eBay and Craigslist, Chupp

said, to move things that wouldn’t sell

in the stores.

“We feel really positive about the budget,”

Chupp said.

Next year, she said, she hopes the community

saves their cans and aluminum to

help the store make extra revenue through

the sale of scrap metal.

“That’s a huge untapped market. People

are taking it to the recycle center, and we

could make money on it,” Chupp said. “If

anybody has any ideas on how to generate

more money, I’m always open, always excited

to try new things.”

The board’s next regular meeting is

scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 24,

at the meet and greet room at the shelter.