Butler County Humane Society Director Marci Mustello takes care of Elroy, a basset hound-chocolate lab mix on Thursday.

Butler County is filled with a variety of people doing interesting things. This weekly feature offers snapshots of some of them and their interests by asking them five questions. The latest installment appears below.

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Marci Mustello is on a mission to match homeless pets with their “forever families.” Mustello, 40, is director of Butler County Humane Society in Connoquenessing Township.

With a full-time staff of 16 and countless volunteers, the no-kill shelter accommodates a maximum of about 75 cats and 65 dogs. The nonprofit organization survives solely on donations.

QUESTION: How are animals prepared for adoption?ANSWER: When you get an animal from the Butler County Humane Society, you will know that it has been altered, it has had its rabies shot, it's had its vaccines and it's been temperament tested. What you're going to get is a fairly healthy animal. ... We also microchip them, which is a very good thing to do.

QUESTION: What is the most difficult part of the job?ANSWER: Sometimes, the toughest part is saying goodbye to a certain animal, whether it goes into a forever home, or if it's too sick and we just can't save it. It's also tough seeing some of the abuse cases we've had recently ... the cats that come into us with gunshot wounds or the dogs that have been neglected and come in and you can see every rib on their body. It's tough to know that humans out there aren't treating their furry friends with dignity. It really hurts.

QUESTION: Do more animals end up at the shelter in a bad economy?ANSWER: It is going along with the economy. ... We're seeing a lot of really nice dogs and cats come through. It's just unfortunate that families can't care for them.

QUESTION: What is your favorite thing about working with the animals?ANSWER: I think the best part is seeing their happy faces. I know that my staff cares so much for these animals and they get so much attention — they're fed twice a day, they get fresh water twice a day. They're just so well-cared for and it makes me so proud.

QUESTION: Why do you name the shelter animals?ANSWER: I think it personalizes them. The staff comes up with the name. A lot of it is their personality — we oversee their behavior and then we name them.