Latest news with #GreaterBirminghamHumaneSociety
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Festivalgoers travel hundreds of miles for Birmingham's Steel City Jazz Fest
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) – Thousands of people are expected to gather at Linn Park over the weekend to enjoy the sweet sounds of jazz music. The Steel City Smooth Jazz Festival attracts people from all over the country. 'I could sit and listen to the music all day long, I hope the weather holds up,' said Montie Taylor, who traveled down from Tennessee. 'Just wonderful music, a great environment and just vibing and kicking off the summer.' Taylor and her best friend, Tina Deneen, are getting groovy together at the Steel City Smooth Jazz Festival this weekend. Though they live hundreds of miles apart, the sorority sisters knew the perfect spot to reconnect would be the jazz festival in Birmingham. 'We used to live here, sometime about 6 years ago we moved from here to Maryland, and we came to this jazz festival before and had such a wonderful time, so we thought we'd travel back to Birmingham,' Deneen said. Greater Birmingham Humane Society reaches capacity, waives adoption fees 'I lived here in Birmingham for a small amount, short amount of time, and Tennessee is not that far away,' Taylor said. 'So, when my best friend said she was coming from Maryland, it was an easy decision to come down and enjoy good music, good food and have the best time with our besties.' 'The experience of being able to come out here with our friends, and we have such great memories of Birmingham, that's why we came back,' Deneen's husband, Lou, said. The Steel City Smooth Jazz Fest is a homecoming for more people than just Taylor and Deneen. 'I grew up here as a little kid,' said Dennis Gordon. 'Up the road there about three blocks on 22nd street.' Gordon lives in Atlanta now. He says, since retiring, he and his wife travel to all of the jazz festivals around the southeast. He says he has mixed feelings about genres other than jazz being included in the festival. 'It's ok, but I'm iffy if it's not jazz. I'm 70 years old and it keeps the young folks from here,' Gordon said. 'We enjoy it though, we enjoy all of it.' While people travel to the Magic City from all over to enjoy the music, it's a big draw for locals as well. Thelma and Wayne Webb have been coming to the Steel City Jazz Fest for the last decade. 'Everybody just loves one another, you know, we're just of all race, of all kind, just love one another,' Thelma said. 'That's what it's all about, love and having a good time. A safe, good time,' Wayne added. Gates will reopen for the Steel City Smooth Jazz Festival at noon on Saturday. Music continues through Sunday. You can find more information about the event here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Greater Birmingham Humane Society reaches capacity, waives adoption fees
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — The Greater Birmingham Humane Society shelter is at capacity, and they need your help to save the lives of dogs and cats. 'Definitely if they've been thinking about adopting a pet, this is the time to adopt. If they're at all interested in fostering a pet, this is absolutely the time to foster,' said Ivana Sullivan, the Chief Program Officer for the Greater Birmingham Humane Society. On Friday and Saturday, GBHS is waiving adoption fees at all their locations in hopes of finding homes for the dozens of animals they are sheltering. The only fee that will need to be paid is the $10 micro chip fee. This week the CEO of the Greater Birmingham Humane Society, Allison Black Cornelius took to Facebook with an urgent plea: 'We are in a crisis here at GBHS, a major crisis, we're full, we're beyond full, and animals like Rex need a home,' she explained. Birmingham Botanical Gardens hosting 2025 Fern Expo To listen to her entire statement, click here. Ivana Sullivan, the Chief Program Officer, talked about what led to this situation: 'We've got lots of folks trying to surrender their pets, we've got lots and lots of strays in Jefferson County that are coming into the shelter for their stray holds and so we just only have so many kennels.' In her Facebook post, Cornelius mentioned that they have not had to euthanize for space in a long time, but they're having to do so now. 'It's very devastating,' Sullivan remarked when asked about this 'because you get to a point where there's just no where to put these animals.' The state of Alabama does not require pets be spayed or neutered. Sullivan said that needs to change: 'There definitely needs to be some sort of mandatory solution to this so this can stop, animals in the shelter is just not the solution, we've got to do better.' GBHS is also in need of folks to foster pets and food for dogs and cats, including wet cat food for kittens. For more information, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fairfield Fire Department and Greater Birmingham Humane Society animal control officer rescue 5 dogs
FAIRFIELD, Ala. (WIAT) — Fairfield Fire Department personnel and a Greater Birmingham Humane Society animal control officer rescued five dogs during a house fire on Friday, according to the GBHS. According to Alison Black Cornelius, Chief Executive Officer of the GBHS, the animal control officer found one loose dog, two chained dogs, a dog hiding in a metal drum and a puppy in a wire crate. 'Without hesitation, our officer rushed into the back of the burning building, braving the flames, thick smoke, and danger to reach the terrified animals trapped by huge chains,' the GBHS said in a social media post. 'One by one, they were freed and taken to safety.' In the social media post, GBHS provided a video of the rescue. 'If this video is not proof to y'all that we have got to stop chaining dogs in the state of Alabama, nothing will change your mind,' Cornelius said. 'It's dangerous for the animals, it's dangerous for the public and it's got to stop.' The rescued animals are now in the care of the GBHS. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Read to adoptable cats, dogs at the Trussville Library's Wagging Tales Festival
TRUSSVILLE, Ala. (TRIBUNE) – The Trussville Public Library is set to host a brand new animal adoption event on May 3, that will give community members a chance to read stories to adoptable dogs and cats. The new Wagging Tales Festival will also feature free programs for all ages, a vendor market, food trucks, a donation drive giveaway, and an author event with renowned poet Charles Ghigna. The library is partnering with three shelters and rescues to put on the event–The Greater Birmingham Humane Society, Shelby Humane, and Two-By-Two Rescue. Ghigna, also known as 'Father Goose,' will do a Q&A and book signing. Books will be available for pre-purchase and signing. Other events will include arts and crafts and an outdoor storytime. Attendees can also bring a can of pet food, a toy, or an item from one of the shelters' wishlists to the library and be entered for a chance to win a giveaway. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information about the festival, visit the library's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
