Wabash Animal Shelter Seeks Help from North Manchester
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Keri Koenig-
A draft was submitted in December, additional items and tweaks were made and the final draft will be submitted and approved later this month. Upcoming park projects over the next five years are now accounted for.
The first part of the plan will address the lack of tables and benches in the parks. For example, Maple Park has no outdoor seating, according to Hotchkiss, and many of the other parks are lacking this basic necessity.
The public restrooms at Scout Hall have a need for remodeling, according to people who frequently visit the location. In 2017 the Parks and Recreation Department would love to hire a second full-time maintenance employee. And, while the future housing development is constructed, it has been proposed that an area of green be kept for another possible park.
Laura Rager noted how there had been a gap in the department’s planning in 2011 and commended Hotchkiss for re-establishing the master plan for Parks and Rec. Rager also asked about future expenses and out-of-date facilities that would need to be addressed. Hotchkiss explained how they were taking preventative measures to prepare for when utilities and structures outlive their estimated lifespan.
Doug Bougard, manager, and the staff of the Wabash County Animal Shelter visited with the North Manchester Town Council to seek general support for their shelter. The shelter first opened in the 1960s and has further expanded its facilities and services beyond their duties.
Each animal that comes to the Wabash County Animal Shelter is neutered, vaccinated and microchiped at a cost of nearly $500. With the financial support they receive, they can sell most pets for under $60. Lower prices for animals help them cycle out of the shelter and find homes faster.
“Ninety-nine percent of all dogs at our shelter walk out with a home,” Bougard said. “The only time we put down an animal is when they are too sick to help. We only put down 28 this year. We never put down an animal because we don’t have the room,”
The problem the Wabash County Animal Shelter is facing now is that the county has been cutting funding for the past two years. The shelter not only keeps strays off the streets, but also provides services to prevent the overpopulation of cats and dogs in the area.
“We have to be proactive. Not reactive,” Bougard said.
The shelter received a small grant to start a community cat program that has allowed people to bring a wandering cat to the shelter to be neutered for no cost. This is one of the programs that have exploded in popularity and can only be supported if government funding is provided, he said. The North Manchester board was approached because 10 percent of the animals brought to the shelter were recovered from their area.
James Smith told them the city would negotiate supporting the Wabash County Animal Shelter when they began planning their 2017 budget in June. The staff was encouraged to keep in touch with Carrie Mugford and the rest of the board until then.
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A draft was submitted in December, additional items and tweaks were made and the final draft will be submitted and approved later this month. Upcoming park projects over the next five years are now accounted for.
The first part of the plan will address the lack of tables and benches in the parks. For example, Maple Park has no outdoor seating, according to Hotchkiss, and many of the other parks are lacking this basic necessity.
The public restrooms at Scout Hall have a need for remodeling, according to people who frequently visit the location. In 2017 the Parks and Recreation Department would love to hire a second full-time maintenance employee. And, while the future housing development is constructed, it has been proposed that an area of green be kept for another possible park.
Laura Rager noted how there had been a gap in the department’s planning in 2011 and commended Hotchkiss for re-establishing the master plan for Parks and Rec. Rager also asked about future expenses and out-of-date facilities that would need to be addressed. Hotchkiss explained how they were taking preventative measures to prepare for when utilities and structures outlive their estimated lifespan.
Doug Bougard, manager, and the staff of the Wabash County Animal Shelter visited with the North Manchester Town Council to seek general support for their shelter. The shelter first opened in the 1960s and has further expanded its facilities and services beyond their duties.
Each animal that comes to the Wabash County Animal Shelter is neutered, vaccinated and microchiped at a cost of nearly $500. With the financial support they receive, they can sell most pets for under $60. Lower prices for animals help them cycle out of the shelter and find homes faster.
“Ninety-nine percent of all dogs at our shelter walk out with a home,” Bougard said. “The only time we put down an animal is when they are too sick to help. We only put down 28 this year. We never put down an animal because we don’t have the room,”
The problem the Wabash County Animal Shelter is facing now is that the county has been cutting funding for the past two years. The shelter not only keeps strays off the streets, but also provides services to prevent the overpopulation of cats and dogs in the area.
“We have to be proactive. Not reactive,” Bougard said.
The shelter received a small grant to start a community cat program that has allowed people to bring a wandering cat to the shelter to be neutered for no cost. This is one of the programs that have exploded in popularity and can only be supported if government funding is provided, he said. The North Manchester board was approached because 10 percent of the animals brought to the shelter were recovered from their area.
James Smith told them the city would negotiate supporting the Wabash County Animal Shelter when they began planning their 2017 budget in June. The staff was encouraged to keep in touch with Carrie Mugford and the rest of the board until then.
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