Humane Society creates a cat oasis in Fredericksburg

Last year at this time, members and volunteers for the Holmes County Humane Society were toiling away in obscurity in their home near Glenmont, where a remote location left them praying foul weather wouldn’t deter them from getting to their shelter because of the conditions of the narrow road leading to their facility.

However, on Thursday, June 22, the members and volunteers joined many other community leaders in celebrating their new home near Fredericksburg.

A new building, which was formerly Fire & Ice Restaurant, has some excellent cat amenities, is easily accessible and the new digs were the highlight of the ribbon-cutting ceremony officially welcoming everyone to the new Holmes County Humane Society facility.

Not only is this new home a godsend for the volunteers and board members who work there, but also it’s a blessing to the many cats that now enjoy the new facility that was designed to provide plenty of places for the cats to play, exercise, sleep and enjoy life.

The new facility is complete with several playrooms where they place cats with similar ages and personalities. Rooms have small doorways that allow the animals to move easily from indoors to outside, providing them with the best of all worlds.

Joni Deutschman, president, said the new facility is a dream come true and hopes someday the facility will be able to become home for dogs.

She said the HCHS provides not only for the care of the cats, but also provides adoption services and work with the Rascal Unit, a mobile veterinarian unit set up to serve as an animal hospital that is a low-cost option for spaying and neutering.

“We have one or two people coming in every day, so we do have an a.m. and a p.m. person every day,” Deutschman said. “We can’t close on a holiday because the cats don’t know it’s a holiday, so we’re here every day, cleaning, feeding, giving meds, sweeping the floors and doing whatever is necessary.”

The HCHS sold the Glenmont property in October 2021, knowing the former Fire & Ice Restaurant was available. They then began remodeling the Fredericksburg site beginning in May 2022.

“We were able to do a lot of the things we’ve always wanted in the remodeling process,” Deutschman said. “It was a lot of work, and we were able to repurpose a few of the things like the old bar and the fireplace.”

Board member Vicki Swartzentruber said this group of volunteers that helps care for the cats has become an integral part of the success of the HCHS.

“This is a very important part of our community, and we are blessed to have the group of volunteers we have,” Swartzentruber said. “They do shifts, they provide animal care and they’ve given these animals the love and care they deserve.”

She encouraged anyone with a heart for animals and cats in particular to call the HCHS to discuss the possibility of joining the volunteer crew and the roles they can play in enhancing the lives of the cats.

“We’re always looking for volunteers here, and we do transport cats to Petco in Wooster,” Swartzentruber said. “We encourage anyone to give us a call because there are a lot of different roles from caring for the cats to cleaning and seeking donations.”

Deutschman said this organization truly grew out of volunteers including the board members.

“It all began with people who had a passion for these animals volunteering,” Deutschman said. “All of our board started just wanting to volunteer. We wanted to help do more, we had some new ideas and we all worked together for what’s best for the animals.”

She said the board members also foster cats in their homes as they prepare them for adoption. She said they always welcome visitors who wish to sit and play with the cats.

Because the HCHS is operated by volunteers, there are no specific times the facility is open to the public. However, anyone can call them at 330-377-4026 and someone will return the call.

Swartzentruber said anyone wishing to donate may call the HCHS at 330-377-4026 and leave a message and the organization will come to a home to pick up a donation, or it can be mailed to Holmes County Humane Society, P.O. Box 442, Millersburg, OH 44654. The address of the HCHS is 9260 County Road 192, just west of Fredericksburg.

The Holmes County Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau team was on hand to celebrate the day and the event.

The chamber’s involvement marked another celebration of Holmes County’s ongoing growth and improvement.

“It’s fun for us to get out here and celebrate,” said Tiffany Gerber, chamber executive director. “We love our traditional business members, and seeing how our community takes care of our animals is exciting and it’s a fun experience to be a part of the good works that are happening. It’s indicative of the people of Holmes County. It’s full of people with deep pockets and goods hearts.”

For more information visit the HCHS on Facebook.