Shelby Humane receives $1.2K donation from Holden Energy

Published 10:22 am Friday, November 1, 2019

By EMILY SPARACINO / Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA – When Scott Holden and his team at Holden Energy LLC were brainstorming ways to give back to the community, the Shelby Humane Society came up in the conversation.

As an animal lover, Holden liked the idea of helping a nonprofit that helps countless animals every year.

“This kind of stuff is what we care about,” Holden said.

Holden Energy operates the Mark’s Quick Stop gas station at the intersection of Alabama 70 and Shelby County 26 in Columbiana, so Holden decided to donate a percentage of gas sales from a 90-day period at the station to Shelby Humane Society.

The check Holden and employee Brittani Hardin presented to Shelby Humane Society Executive Director David Arias on Oct. 31 totaled $1,241.38.

“We respect what they’re trying to do and want to do everything we can by supporting that effort,” Arias said. “We consider that a real partnership. It was really a successful fundraiser.”

Holden said another 90-day gas sales promotion at Mark’s Quick Stop has started, meaning another donation to Shelby Humane Society is forthcoming.

Arias said donations like the one from Holden Energy help Shelby Humane Society serve the nearly 5,000 animals that come to the facility every year.

The organization is preparing to launch a new program called Shelby Connect, which will support individual pet owners and animal welfare organizations needing information and resources throughout Alabama.

Arias said the need for such a program became apparent during the formation of another program called Shelby Safe Pet, which provides free veterinary care and boarding of pets for survivors of domestic violence who are in need of confidential emergency shelter.

“This is a way we can share our experience with other organizations (by) being a connector,” Arias said of Shelby Connect. “We felt like it was a natural extension of what we do with Shelby Safe Pet. Our goal is to get it in place by the end of the year.”

For more information about Shelby Humane Society, visit Shelbyhumane.org.