A Century of Service: Huntington Bank and the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society

By Vanessa Orr

For more than 100 years, two local organizations have been making a difference in the communities that they serve. Huntington Bank, founded in 1866 by P. W. Huntington, has a long tradition of responding to the needs of its customers with the goal of creating strong, healthy communities. The Western Pennsylvania Humane Society (WPHS), established in 1874, has been helping abandoned and abused pets find new owners while educating the public on animal welfare.

“Huntington Bank has a rich tradition of responding to the needs of the community to try and make things better,” explained Rob Oddo, manager for the bank’s newest branch at the Village at Pine in Wexford. “We do this in a number of ways, from keeping our money local so that it can be invested back into the communities we serve to providing financial education in the schools. We put people before profit, and work hard to develop products that are meaningful to our customers. A lot of our employees also volunteer—it’s all part of our value system.”

One recent example of Huntington’s commitment includes the distribution of 3,000 backpacks with school supplies and nutritious treats to children whose families can’t afford back-to-school supplies. “The economic downturn is also causing families to have to abandon their pets, so we’ve been working with the Humane Society to stock their food pantry and care for the animals that have been surrendered,” added Oddo.

This is not the first time that Huntington Bank has come to the aid of animal welfare organizations. The company, which serves customers in western Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Michigan, Indiana and a small part of Kentucky, created Paws Banking to help a local humane society in Ohio by raising funds and awareness. “Paws Banking is a checking account that features a debit card and checks illustrated with a dog and cat photo,” explained Kim Ravenda, marketing director for Huntington in the Pittsburgh region. “The humane societies receive a licensing donation as well as recognition. A lot of nonprofits tell us that visibility is valued as much as financial donations, so we try to do both.”

Since moving into the region with its acquisition of Sky Bank in 2007, Huntington has grown to include 55 branches in Pennsylvania, including offices in Cranberry, the Village at Pine, McIntyre Square, Zelienople and Butler. It is the #1 Small Business Association (SBA) lender in the bank’s markets. “We develop programs that help our customers make their money work harder and take a proactive approach to ensure that when businesses want to borrow money, they can,” said Oddo. Huntington also offers customers access to a large wealth management department and insurance services.

Huntington Bank employees travel to local schools where they help students set up ‘banks’ that include tellers, security guards and branch managers. “Once or twice a month, we go into schools to teach financial responsibility and independence at a young age,” said Oddo. “Students can watch their deposits grow and plan how long it will take to purchase something they want. This helps them learn the value of money and establish positive saving habits that will last a lifetime.”

Another unique Huntington event is Yappy Hour, which is held at local bank branches and enables guests to learn about pet products and see adoptable animals from the Humane Society. “Based on the response we’ve received to Yappy Hours, as well as the more than 40,000 clients who have selected Paws Banking, we can tell that this cause is near and dear to our customers’ hearts,” emphasized Ravenda.

According to Gretchen Fieser, director of marketing and business relations for the WPHS, events like these greatly help the organization. “What many people don’t realize is that we’re completely funded by donations—we receive no state money or tax dollars,” she explained. “When we adopt out animals, we actually lose money on every adoption; it costs $10 to $12 a day to keep an animal, which really adds up.

“People think that if they give to the national organization, we receive the money,” she added. “The fact is, only one percent of that money goes to local shelters.”

The WPHS helps approximately 14,000 animals each year. “We are an open door shelter, which means that we accept all animals without a waiting list or fee,” said Fieser. “We ask for a donation, but do not require it, which makes us different than most shelters in the area.”

In addition to finding abandoned animals homes, the WPHS also employs four full-time humane officers who investigate calls of abuse and neglect in a four-county area, logging more than 50,000 miles a year. Dog training classes are offered seven days a week, and include basic puppy obedience, advanced therapy dog training, ‘bully breed’ classes and agility.

“One of the reasons that we offer training classes is because it helps keep dogs in the home,” said Fieser. “A person may not care when a cute puppy chews on fingers or shoes, but that’s not so cute at 9 months.”

The Humane Society also offers a number of community outreach programs, including a bite prevention program for the Postal Service; a program during the school year at Faison Elementary, and an animal kindness program every week at Shuman Juvenile Detention Center. “We also have a pit bull program to show people that these dogs are not the monsters that the media makes them out to be,” said Fieser.

Other services include a trap, neuter and release program for feral animals; a low-cost spay and neuter program; vaccine clinics; and a low-cost clinic at the Humane Society. In addition to dogs and cats, the WPHS houses birds, small animals, rabbits, reptiles, pet pigs and even ducks. “People are surprised to find that we often have purebred animals in the shelters, though I encourage all adopters to have an open mind,” said Fieser. “Your new best friend may not come in the package that you imagine.”

For more information, call 412-321-4625 or visit www.wpahumane.org. For more information on Huntington Bank, visit www.huntington.com or call 1-800-480-BANK.