As Defend Your Friend weekend comes to an end, the 5Ks have been completed at the park, around your neighborhood or on trips from the couch to the fridge; no step was taken without greater purpose. Together, we all have the ability to impact the lives of those who need our help most because together, we make Columbus Humane. As a result of Defend Your Friend 5K 2020, 279 people participated accompanied by 140 dogs resulting in $50,889 raised for our Cruelty Investigations Department with an additional $20K raised to support the Susan Wright Yoder Memorial Fund, which helps us provide care for dogs admitted through animal cruelty investigations. Your contribution to Defend Your Friend will help do things like:
Provide Agents with updated equipment to enhance their day to day job while working 7 days per week, 365 days per year.
Provides access to specialty care and diagnostics for pets admitted through animal cruelty investigations
Provide more resources to educate the community on better pet ownership
Provide supplies and equipment to make homes safer and more comfortable for pets
“The Cruelty Investigations Department would like to thank everyone who registered, donated or just took their dogs out for a walk. We greatly appreciate the support the community has given us and continue to give us. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.”
Since the 14th Annual Defend Your Friend was virtual this year, we asked participants to show their support on social media by posting a picturing using #DYF5K2020. Check out the result of Defend Your Friend hitting neighborhoods and the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks.
Why We Run.
Columbus Humane is private nonprofit organization, as well as, a law enforcement agency investigating animal cruelty, abuse, neglect and organized animal fighting in Franklin County. We have a staff of Humane Agents and a Dispatcher lead by a season professional, Chief Humane Agent Manion. The team makes more than 6,000 visits to responding to complaints of cruelty annually. Most complaints come from concerned neighbors and Good Samaritans like you. We admit an average of 1,100-1,500 animals annually through animal cruelty investigations.
Animal cruelty investigations impacts every department of Columbus Humane. From large scale cases to the daily rescue, the Dispatcher, Humane Agents, our veterinary professionals and the animal care and enrichment team are all involved in the rescue, treatment and care for these animals. Once an animal is brought in by our Humane Agents, the veterinary medical team examines and treats the animals for any illness or injuries, documenting all conditions and gathering the evidence needed to hold abusers accountable. Our animal care and behavior team provides outstanding care to make sure each animal’s needs are met in a comfortable, clean space. Some animals are ready to join our adoption program to find a new home quickly, while others need extra TLC, training and confidence before they are ready to meet a new family.
Our Humane Agents have challenging, rigorous, and physically demanding and emotional jobs. Each year around Defend Your Friend, Columbus Humane likes to not only raise awareness around animal abuse and neglect, but also acknowledge the hard work our agents perform 365 days per year. We are grateful for all they do and give to help make Columbus a humane community.
Meet The Cruelty Investigations Department
Get to know our team that makes up animal cruelty investigations. We recently interviewed our Humane Agents on their work and Defend Your Friend. Each photo shares more about our agents, why your involvement in Defend Your Friend is vital to our work and details into the life of a Humane Agent.
We run a 5K to call attention to the important work of animal cruelty investigations. We run a 5K to support our Cruelty Investigations Department. We run a 5K to give animals and people a chance at a better life. We run a 5K educate the community on proper pet care. And we run a 5K in hopes of eliminating animal cruelty, abuse and neglect in Central Ohio.
Columbus Humane would like to thank our generous sponsors and participants for your involvement in the 14th Annual Defend Your Friend 5K.
