Tunica Humane Society receives funding from Harrah’s

TUNICA — The Tunica Humane Society now has plenty to bark about as they are receiving a $200,000 grant from the Harrah’s Foundation. The grant will be used to pay for half of the cost of a building to house stray dogs in Tunica.
“This is truly an answer to our prayers,” Sandy Williams, executive director of the Tunica Humane Society, said. “From day one our goal has been to build an indoor shelter. The dogs we are housing at the temporary shelter have endured two winters and two summers in the extreme cold and heat.”
Williams, as well as other volunteers, started in August 2008 raising awareness and holding fundraisers to collect money for a new shelter, but until now, much of the money has gone to basic necessities for the dogs like food and medical care. That’s when Williams and other volunteers turned to Harrah’s Foundation for help.
“The Tunica Humane society, their volunteers, and Sandy Williams have shown great determination and resiliency in the past few years to provide a safe haven for area animals,” said R. Scott Barber, regional president, Harrah’s Mid-South Region. “Without their efforts stray animals of Tunica County would almost certainly face a dismal future which could negatively affect area residents, business operations, and infrastructure. It is our hope that this $200,000 grant provided by the Harrah’s Foundation on behalf of Horseshoe Casino and Hotel Tunica will help build a permanent shelter and lasting foundation for the much needed services and compassion this group and organization provides to our area.”
The shelter will be called the Horseshoe Humane Society Tunica, a gift from Harrah’s Foundation, and the Tunica Humane Society will continue to run the shelter that currently houses 115 dogs.
“Tunica County currently does not have a designated department for Animal Control, so we have been functioning in that role and will continue after the permanent shelter is built,” Williams said.
Earlier this year, the Tunica Humane Society applied for the Pepsi Refresh Project, a grant that the public votes online and decides what groups get $50,000 each. They are still in the running for the funding and currently ranked 41 and need to get to the top 10, so Williams encourages people who are not able to give donations directly, to go online to www.refresheverything.com to vote.
The estimated date to start construction is early 2011. The new address for the permanent shelter will be 4500 Fox Island Road in Tunica County. To find out more information about the Tunica Humane Society, call (662) 363-1625, or visit their website at tunicahumanesociety.com.
The Harrah’s Foundation is a private, 501(c)(3) foundation established to provide financial support to qualified organizations in communities where Harrah’s employees live and work.  Established in 2002, the Harrah’s Foundation is funded by Harrah’s Entertainment properties and supports social reinvestment programs by funding eligible 501(c)(3) organizations dedicated to seniors, education and civic programs.  Since its formation, the Harrah’s Foundation has committed nearly $63 million to nonprofit organizations throughout the United States.