On Sept. 4, Friends All United for Natchitoches Animals (FAUNA) announced the construction of their new animal adoption and welfare facility by sharing an published article from the Natchitoches Parish Journal on Facebook.
FAUNA was established in 2022 when two Natchitoches animal advocacy groups, the Natchitoches Humane Society and Hope for Paws, combined forces.
Karn Richoux, FAUNA board secretary, has been involved in the organization since its formation. She first began working in animal rescue in 2019 through the Natchitoches Humane Society, and she believes that the merge of the two groups made sense for the community.
“The Natchitoches community could not fully support two rescue groups, and our missions were virtually the same,” Richoux said. “Combining has made things easier, as the community does not have to contact multiple groups if they have lost or found a pet.”
Currently, FAUNA has two facilities in Natchitoches. One is located on the grounds of the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center and the other is on farmland off of the Highway 1 Bypass, close to the location of the new facility.
FAUNA vice-president Leah Forsyth discussed the current state of the organization and how the new facility will elevate FAUNA’s mission.
“Part of the reason that a lot of people do not know that much about FAUNA right now is because our facilities are not that visible,” Forsyth said. “I believe that the visibility of the new facility will change things drastically in terms of pet adoption and community involvement.”
Unlike FAUNA’s current sites, the new facility will include a staffed front desk, meet-and-greet rooms, a community space, a merchandise area, exam rooms and a community walking trail around the facility.
“Our overall mission has three parts: to better animal welfare, to place animals for adoption and to educate. I think we will be able to really step that up with the new facility,” Forsyth said.
Shirley Walker, senior vice president of purchasing, construction and design at Dimension Hospitality, serves as the chairwoman for FAUNA’s shelter committee. Walker explained that the new facility is named the Edwina and Sam Friedman Animal Adoption and Welfare Center.
“Edwina and Sam Friedman were both big animal advocates. They supported both Natchitoches Humane Society and Hope for Paws before they combined and created FAUNA,” Walker said.
In June 2023, the Friedmans donated six acres of land on the Highway 1 Bypass in Natchitoches to FAUNA. A month later, Sam Friedman passed away unexpectedly.
His obituary stated, “Those who wish to honor Sam’s memory may do so by donating to FAUNA Shelter Construction Fund.”
Following his passing, Edwina Friedman made a significant donation to the organization in honor of her late husband. The donation is being used to fund the construction of the new building, but the organization also acquired funding from the state to fund the facility.
The organization hopes to continuously grow in order to serve the Natchitoches community. FAUNA currently offers several community services, including annual health fairs featuring free vaccines, rabies vaccinations and spay and neuter vouchers, as well as a trap-neuter-return program for community cats located outside of city limits.
Additionally, the organization arranges seasonal events like dog washes and fundraising events. Richoux hopes that the new facility will encourage more volunteers to get involved with FAUNA.
“Even though ‘friends’ is the first word in FAUNA, many people assume that the people answering their messages and transporting animals are trained in animal welfare,” Richoux said. “Really, we are closer to the general public than they realize, we have just found the part of the organization we can best contribute to.”
For more information on FAUNA, visit the website https://www.npfauna.org/.
