Hannibal animal shelter raises more than $10,000 during virtual fundraiser

HANNIBAL, Mo. — Hot pink slime slathered the front steps, and busted eggshells were scattered Wednesday night across the entrance floor of the Northeast Missouri (NEMO) Humane Society. In a room beyond the main corridor, a trail of whipped cream paralleled a wall of cages holding dogs and puppies.

“Thank God our cleaning service comes tonight,” said Elise Blue, executive director of the shelter.

Donations to the NEMO Humane Society surpassed $10,000 during a virtual fundraiser in collaboration with Jordan’s Way, a non-profit organization working to support animal shelters and aid in the adoption of their occupants. 

The three-hour fundraiser, streamed on Facebook Live from the shelter in Hannibal, enticed prospective donors with games, toys and treats for the shelter’s animals, as well as challenges and entertainment at various checkpoints, including “sliming” some of the event’s participants. 

Kristopher Rotonda of Jordan’s Way, the fundraiser’s emcee, motivated viewers to make one final round of donations to increase the total count to $10,000 when he presented a pair of hair clippers to the camera.

“You guys have 10 minutes,” Rotonda shouted. “If they do not raise $690 in 10 minutes … (we’re going) to shave their heads.”

Blue and 11-year-old Madi Weatherford of Madi’s Kindness Project anxiously awaited their fate in the background. They breathed a sigh of relief when a $100 donation from “Mark and Dawn H” triggered another $500 contribution from Jason Krigbaum with Heartland Towing & Recovery with 10 seconds left.

A safe haven for strays

More than 75 animals rely on the NEMO Humane Society for food and shelter. 

Per its contract with the City of Hannibal, the shelter serves as the default home for strays, taking in roughly 2,000 unwanted cats and dogs annually from Marion, Ralls, Monroe, Shelby and Lewis counties in Missouri. 

Best Friends, an animal welfare organization advocating for the elimination of euthanasia in shelters, reports 4.4 million animals entered shelters across the United States in 2022. The top reason cats were surrendered to shelters was because their owners already had too many animals, while “housing issues” were the top reason for dogs. Nearly 380,000 animals were euthanized, likely due to overcrowding. Animal intake levels have consistently increased since 2020, but adoption rates have stagnated. 

Humane euthanization previously occurred at the NEMO Humane Society in rare circumstances, but Blue announced the shelter’s new status as a no-kill shelter during Wednesday night’s event. All animals are officially welcome to stay at NEMO Humane Society until they are adopted.

The organization also offers:

• a self-service dog washing station;
• microchipping;
• cremation services and memorials;
• and the Spay Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides vouchers to Hannibal pet owners that cover half the cost of the procedure.

The organization doesn’t receive state or federal funding, primarily depending on donations, memberships and fundraising to survive. That’s why Wednesday night’s event was crucial for the NEMO Humane Society team.

Through her own non-profit organization, Weatherford has raised almost $13,000 for the shelter since 2018 — the same year Jordan’s Way was born.

Jordan’s Way creates ‘buzz’ for NEMO

Jordan’s Way was founded after the death of Rotonda’s German Shepherd mix, Jordan, from heart cancer. Jordan had been stuck in a Florida shelter for more than three years before Rotonda spotted her and took her home. That began a decade-long journey for the pair — and a lifelong one Rotonda eventually embarked on alone.

The Florida-based animal welfare activist has visited thousands of shelters to assist with fundraising since 2018. Rotonda spent three days in a cage in the summer heat at one location and 10 days sleeping with the dogs on the concrete floor of another. His journey has yielded almost $10 million in donations to shelters across the country.

Rotonda headed to the NEMO Humane Society as part of a nationwide tour that utilizes Facebook Live to “create a buzz around shelters.” The ultimate goal is to connect homeless animals with their forever homes. The virtual fundraisers showcase “shelter employees, volunteers and sometimes even animal control officers and local law enforcement (participating) in activities like pies to the face, dunk tanks and ice bucket challenges.” Viewers can donate to the cause in real time, then watch as each outrageous activity surpasses the last. 

“It’s a Jerry Lewis (Labor Day) Telethon meets a Nickelodeon episode,” said Mary Lynne Rish, the social media coordinator of Jordan’s Way.

NEMO was the fourth stop on the latest Jordan’s Way tour, which began Monday. Rish said the team averages about 25 stops every week.

At the time of publication, the Hannibal event amassed more than $10,000 from 170 donors to benefit the NEMO Humane Society. Donations will be accepted for the next seven days and can be made at this link.

“Thank you to everybody. We couldn’t do this without our community,” Blue said. “This has been super fun.”

More information about the NEMO Humane Society, including animals available for adoption and their fees, can be found on its website.