The storm at the shelter

If we must say so ourselves — and why shouldn’t we? — the citizens of Healdsburg are one of the proudest and most generous communities to be found anywhere. We cherish our traditions as we also expand our horizons and meet all kinds of challenges with a stalwart blend of conviction and compassion. Healdsburg is home to good folks with big hearts.
That is why we are willing to bet against the permanent closing of the Healdsburg Animal Shelter. We do not let go of our institutions and living landmarks that easily. It won’t be right away, and it may take several months or longer, but we can already envision a re-birth of the shelter. We think it is OK and probably necessary to have a temporary closing of the shelter. Even the most generous of communities can not afford to donate labor and money to a failed organization.
We understand why the current board of directors for the non-profit animal shelter has decided to suspend operations in a few weeks. Perhaps no non-profit could have endured the series of major missteps, unfortunate episodes and unflattering publicity that now has brought the organization to an ultimate dead-end.
Basically these volunteer leaders are telling us they can no longer take our donations in good conscience or with enough assurance to keep the doors open. Their public plea in these pages two weeks ago met with almost no response of additional support. With the writing on the wall, this story must now seek the opening of a new chapter.
The Healdsburg Animal Shelter was started in 1960 and for 53 years has been operated and supported by hundreds of animal-loving volunteers and hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.
In 2009, the Rodney and Charlotte Strong estate gave $2.4 million to the non-profit, in part, to build a new and much-needed facility. Since that day, the shelter and its staff and leaders have only faced one crisis after the other. The Recession cut in to annual donations and there began a five year period of rapid staff, volunteer and board member turnovers.
On top of everything, the new shelter has never been completed or occupied because of faulty construction work and is now in legal limbo. The non-profit shelter has filed a series of lawsuits against the building’s contractors. An eventual court decision or monetary award is still more than a year away.
In the meantime, the City of Healdsburg is scrambling to contract for continued animal control services. Previously, the city had a $115,000 annual contract with the animal shelter to provide staff and services. That contract is now being left unfulfilled and the city may be faced to share in the non-profit shelter’s losses.
Everyone wants to look back and see who is at fault, how the mistakes were made and why some previous board members and leaders lost the confidence and support of many long-time volunteers. No doubt, there is plenty of blame to go around. Except for the settlement of the lawsuit over the $2.9 million building, what is to gain by finger-pointing at past staff, directors or others?
The better pursuit would be to focus on the future and generate the support and organizational structure that will one day either open the new shelter or properly dispose of the asset and pay for a new operation or location.
Next Monday, that “looking forward” process could begin as the issue of the shelter’s future is addressed by the city council. There’s a plaque at City Hall with Marie Sparks’ name on it. Among many other community contributions, Marie was the animal shelter’s leading volunteer for many, many years.
Going forward, it wouldn’t hurt to ask, “what would Marie want us to do?”
— Rollie Atkinson