WVVA Hometown Hero: Harman helps find homes for homeless animals
GREEN VALLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) - Stacey Harman is the Director of the Mercer County Animal Shelter. For years she and her team have successfully maintained her self-imposed promise to avoid euthanizing any of the animals that have come through the doors. She has remained true to her vow. Harman started her work at the shelter 12 years ago and has served as director for the last 3. It was Heather Mitchell, a worker at the shelter who wrote the nomination letter about Harman, “Stacey’s heart is in the shelter. Her heart is with the animals to where if we ever had the privilege of having another boss, I would definitely try to take Stacey with me if I ever went anywhere,” Mitchell said with a laugh.
Harman has no plans for an early exit. This 1994 graduate of Princeton Senior High School is committed to being the voice and advocate for the unwanted animals in her hometown, “We have to be their voice because otherwise, there is no voice. They can’t tell you if they’re hurting. They can’t tell you if they’re hungry. You know, I get hundreds of dogs a year that are emaciated with nothing but bones sticking out. Most places would probably euthanize those. I go above anybody to not have to do that,” Harman said.
Harman says she is not a one-woman-band. There’s an entire team of unsung heroes who help because early in her career here someone told her it takes an entire village to save the animals, “It takes a lot of people behind the scenes , it’s not just me sending them up the road, but, that is just something I have lived by,” said Harman, adding it is very challenging to maintain the no kill status here at the mercer county animal shelter. Harman says her empathy for the unwanted animals is a driving force for what she does, “They don’t know that they have been dumped, so I have to go get them. And I bring them up here and give them that chance to find a home and, you know, over the years I remember several years ago I made a goal to send at least 1,000 animals to rescue that year and I sent 1,200.” She adds, “It’s for the animal. I have to be their voice because otherwise they would be, you know, dead or just given up on. I have people that will drop animals in the road. I have been on 460 catching animals before because they are scared, and they don’t know where to go.”
As you might expect, Harman encourages people with a love for animals to step up and make a difference in their community, “Volunteer at your local shelter. Get that firsthand on what my staff does. Every day, day-in, and day-out, not only do they clean and feed, but they, you know, they bring the dogs out . They love on them. We walk them. You know and does that gives them a sense of hope. You know, and that makes them more social. So that when someone is interested, we have a better idea of their personality and things like that.” Harman said.
It’s the things that Harman does here that led to her selection as a hometown hero, but she isn’t doing it in pursuit of this kind of recognition, “It makes me feel good, but at the same time I just do what I would hope any other person would do,” said Harman. It’s that attitude and her work to save unwanted animals that makes Stacey Harman a WVVA Hometown Hero.
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