Animal Shelter Situation Called 'Serious,' 'Critical'
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Without more money from the county for the shelter, Animal Welfare League volunteer Lynne Vining said Kosciusko County officials will have the shelter back by Jan. 1, if not sooner.
"We're just about out of money. We're about to let some of the paid employees go," Vining said Monday.
In their budget, AWL has approximately only $10,000 and $10,000 in a certificate of deposit, she said. But that won't carry them to the end of the year.
"It's serious. It's critical," she said. "We don't want to give it up but we have 100 (cats and dogs) adopted out a month and we need seven-days-a-week employees. Sunday's mostly run by volunteers."
She said paid employees don't receive any benefits or paid vacations and don't get any holiday pay. On top of that, the building itself needs repairs and there is always a need for cat litter and medication.
"We've been fighting a cat virus for a year. One gets it, the next thing you know, another one's got it," she said.
County administrator Ron Robinson said the contract with AWL doesn't expire until the beginning of 2000. If AWL does hand the shelter back to the county, Robinson said, the county will be prepared to take it back over, but would rather not. He said the commissioners have done everything they could to help the shelter.
"The commissioners put in $50,000 in their budget (for the AWL) and the council cut it (back to $30,000). I don't know what else they (the commissioners) can do," he said.
As for the needed repairs, Robinson said, "Some things we're responsible for and some things they're responsible for." He said he was at the shelter Sunday and looked "some things over." Most repairs needed are not major repairs.
"We'll look into it and see how we can help," he said.
AWL is trying to raise money. Thursday, Hacienda will give 25 percent of its proceeds to AWL. Coupons must be presented at the time of the meal purchase and coupons can be picked up at United Telephone, Dalton Foundry or at the shelter. Papa John's Pizza will be holding a similar fund raiser Sept. 24. AWL will receive 20 percent of the profits Papa John's makes when customers present a coupon and ask that the proceeds go to the shelter. Other upcoming AWL benefits include a salad bar at Center Lake Pavilion Oct. 14, a celebrity auction and, possibly, a half-and-half raffle.
"All these things cannot come up with enough money; they're just peanuts," said Vining.
She said if the county would pay the salaries of two employees, that would help.
"We have CPAs. We have professional people, but we are amateurs when it comes to the shelter," she said. "We've got to have support or we're done."
Robinson said he will look into the county paying the salaries of two employees but does not believe it is possible because the shelter is not a county organization. If the county had complete control of the organization, they could pay the salaries, he said.
Vining said she would like to see financial support come from the towns and cities in the county, too. Warsaw is talking about donating $10,000.
"If we could get support from Syracuse, Mentone, Silver Lake, Milford - we need that," she said.
She also said support from county veterinarians is needed. If each veterinarian donated one day a month, she said, it could provide a great deal of support.
Despite the financial troubles, Vining said, the shelter is doing well.
"I think the animals are being cared for. I think the animals are getting more attention than under the previous shelter. We wouldn't be adopting 100 out a month if we weren't. We just need the financial support," she said.
Vining said county residents also should spay and neuter their pets. Because the shelter receives so many animals, she said, they now euthanize the biggest dogs, aggressive and ill animals and animals that have been at the shelter too long.
According to Vining, AWL has 400 memberships but that includes children and pets. Fewer than a dozen actually volunteer.
Volunteers will be needed Sept. 11 at 3:30 p.m. for "Taming the Jungle Night." Workers will wash down walls, clean the storage room and do anything else that needs to be done.
"We could use good volunteers, whether they can give an hour or two hours," Vining said.
AWL will hold a membership meeting Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. in the city meeting room.
AWL president Chad Harvey could not be reached for comment. [[In-content Ad]]
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Without more money from the county for the shelter, Animal Welfare League volunteer Lynne Vining said Kosciusko County officials will have the shelter back by Jan. 1, if not sooner.
"We're just about out of money. We're about to let some of the paid employees go," Vining said Monday.
In their budget, AWL has approximately only $10,000 and $10,000 in a certificate of deposit, she said. But that won't carry them to the end of the year.
"It's serious. It's critical," she said. "We don't want to give it up but we have 100 (cats and dogs) adopted out a month and we need seven-days-a-week employees. Sunday's mostly run by volunteers."
She said paid employees don't receive any benefits or paid vacations and don't get any holiday pay. On top of that, the building itself needs repairs and there is always a need for cat litter and medication.
"We've been fighting a cat virus for a year. One gets it, the next thing you know, another one's got it," she said.
County administrator Ron Robinson said the contract with AWL doesn't expire until the beginning of 2000. If AWL does hand the shelter back to the county, Robinson said, the county will be prepared to take it back over, but would rather not. He said the commissioners have done everything they could to help the shelter.
"The commissioners put in $50,000 in their budget (for the AWL) and the council cut it (back to $30,000). I don't know what else they (the commissioners) can do," he said.
As for the needed repairs, Robinson said, "Some things we're responsible for and some things they're responsible for." He said he was at the shelter Sunday and looked "some things over." Most repairs needed are not major repairs.
"We'll look into it and see how we can help," he said.
AWL is trying to raise money. Thursday, Hacienda will give 25 percent of its proceeds to AWL. Coupons must be presented at the time of the meal purchase and coupons can be picked up at United Telephone, Dalton Foundry or at the shelter. Papa John's Pizza will be holding a similar fund raiser Sept. 24. AWL will receive 20 percent of the profits Papa John's makes when customers present a coupon and ask that the proceeds go to the shelter. Other upcoming AWL benefits include a salad bar at Center Lake Pavilion Oct. 14, a celebrity auction and, possibly, a half-and-half raffle.
"All these things cannot come up with enough money; they're just peanuts," said Vining.
She said if the county would pay the salaries of two employees, that would help.
"We have CPAs. We have professional people, but we are amateurs when it comes to the shelter," she said. "We've got to have support or we're done."
Robinson said he will look into the county paying the salaries of two employees but does not believe it is possible because the shelter is not a county organization. If the county had complete control of the organization, they could pay the salaries, he said.
Vining said she would like to see financial support come from the towns and cities in the county, too. Warsaw is talking about donating $10,000.
"If we could get support from Syracuse, Mentone, Silver Lake, Milford - we need that," she said.
She also said support from county veterinarians is needed. If each veterinarian donated one day a month, she said, it could provide a great deal of support.
Despite the financial troubles, Vining said, the shelter is doing well.
"I think the animals are being cared for. I think the animals are getting more attention than under the previous shelter. We wouldn't be adopting 100 out a month if we weren't. We just need the financial support," she said.
Vining said county residents also should spay and neuter their pets. Because the shelter receives so many animals, she said, they now euthanize the biggest dogs, aggressive and ill animals and animals that have been at the shelter too long.
According to Vining, AWL has 400 memberships but that includes children and pets. Fewer than a dozen actually volunteer.
Volunteers will be needed Sept. 11 at 3:30 p.m. for "Taming the Jungle Night." Workers will wash down walls, clean the storage room and do anything else that needs to be done.
"We could use good volunteers, whether they can give an hour or two hours," Vining said.
AWL will hold a membership meeting Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. in the city meeting room.
AWL president Chad Harvey could not be reached for comment. [[In-content Ad]]