By Leah Schwarting

NATCHEZ — The new Natchez-Adams County Humane Society shelter kennels are getting some extra love.

While construction continues at the new shelter, a new initiative allows donors to dedicate a dog kennel for $1,400 or a cat kennel for $530.

The kennel dedications will help the Humane Society defray costs for the construction and furnishing of the new shelter building.

In return for donations, a plaque will be put on the kennel with the name of the person or pet to which the kennel is dedicated.

“It’s just an effort to help us take care of our animal population,” said Sue Stedman, vice president of the NACHS. “I think it speaks to the character of your community how you treat and how you try to maintain your unwanted or abandoned pet population.”

The new shelter is going to have 166 kennels — 51 for cats and 115 for dogs.

The shelter is also looking to dedicate the Cat Room for a $10,000 donation. The room will be one of the first things that visitors will see when they come into the new shelter.

“They can get in there and play and be out of a cage, and just kind of hang out and do what cats do,” Stedman said.

However, all donations are welcome.

“I just hope that we’ll show support for the shelter and to the public that there are truly people out there who care what happens to our animal population,” Stedman said.

For the animals that are currently at the shelter, they’ll be receiving an extra dose of love too.

In March, the NACHS received a grant from Greatergood, working with Boehringer Ingelheim, for $1,530 worth of vaccines.

Last year, NACHS received a grant of $5,000 in dog food coupons from Greatergood in partnership with Pedigree. This year the grant is helping protect dogs from Parvo.

The Parvo virus causes vomiting, diarrhea and most often leads to death in unvaccinated dogs and puppies.

Because of Parvo’s highly contagious nature, it is the first vaccine that animals get when they come into the shelter.

“The Parvo virus spreads easily, so it is the disease that we worry most about,” said Kathy Fitch, president of the NACHS, in an email.

The daily census of dogs and puppies has recently climbed as high as 185. The 300 doses that the grant provided will help protect those animals from Parvo.

For information about the shelter and ways to donate, visit natchezpetadoptions.org.