An urgent appeal for support

Early in 2013, the new members of the Board of Directors of the Healdsburg Animal Shelter confronted the task of examining the Shelter’s business model and dealing with its continuing operating losses—losses that had severely eroded the Shelter’s financial reserves. In providing the high level of care that the Healdsburg community has come to expect, the Shelter has now exhausted nearly all its operating reserves.  Today we need community support—more than ever in the Shelter’s 53-year history—to keep the Shelter operating and fulfilling its mission.
The lawsuit to recover damages for design and construction defects in the new building is still pending, and therefore the board cannot determine for some time the final disposition of the property.  In the meantime, we need additional operating income to cover ongoing costs and to continue the Shelter’s venerable record of service to the community.
In 2012, the Shelter took in more than 650 animals, providing medicine, surgery, food, shelter and socialization training as needed. As a result, 94 percent of those animals successfully left the Shelter in safe and healthy condition.  New owners adopted nearly 400 animals, and lost pets were reunited with their owners. The Shelter’s euthanasia rate of less than 4 percent is remarkably low when compared to national averages for public shelters, reported to be as high as 60 percent for dogs and 70 percent for cats.
These results come at substantial expense. The average operating cost per animal is in excess of $750, less than a third of which is provided by fees and other income. The remainder is not being covered by public support and donations. To maintain this level of professionally managed humane care in 2013, the Shelter will need to increase its revenues by more than $200,000 over amounts received in 2012. Because of the poor economy in recent years, the Shelter has experienced a rise in demand for its service as families find themselves in hard times and are unable to care for their animals. And, just as the economy has forced an increase in demand for services, it has also adversely affected private giving in support of the Shelter.
The Shelter currently provides, under contract, animal control services for the City of Healdsburg to capture stray animals, respond to complaints about animal behavior and deal with animal-related emergencies.  As a part of this service, the Shelter is also required to accept and care for all strays and other surrendered animals.  These animals typically come to the Shelter in poor physical or mental condition.  However, all animals, no matter how they arrive at the Shelter’s doors, receive the same high level of care and rehabilitation.
The staff and volunteers at the Shelter can only continue their excellent work with the full support of our community.  Whether the Shelter is to stay open and conclude the litigation will be determined by the success of fundraising efforts now underway and by the community’s response to this special request.  Right now, the need could not be more pressing.
We need your support to keep the doors to the Shelter open. All donations will go to sustaining our  animal care operations. Please send your tax-deductible donation to:
Healdsburg Animal Shelter
P. O. Box 42
Healdsburg, CA 95448
You can also visit our website at www.healdsburgshelter.org to learn about other ways you can support the Shelter.
— The Healdsburg Animal Shelter Board of Directors are: Art Feagles, Charles Duffy, Kim Lloyd, Phil Staley and Bob Wilkie.