By Judith Tor, Special to the Inquirer
I’m a founding father of Friends of Gonzales Animal Shelter (FOGAS) and have served as its treasurer and tax preparer since its inception. I attended the council assembly on Thursday and wish to share these feedback.
Fiscal accountability is a precedence taxpayers recognize. This letter will level out how FOGAS has been an integral a part of holding prices down on behalf of the City whereas offering wonderful care and rehoming of undesirable pets on this neighborhood.
FOGAS couldn’t have operated the cat shelter because it did with ONLY the funding offered by the City. FOGAS acquired funding from contributions from many people and charitable foundations. In addition, FOGAS acquired a beneficiant bequest from the Estate of Bim Miller which offered a further backup for a lot of years.
FOGAS has given up cat shelter administration however nonetheless can be working locally with the identical intent to learn all animals. Thanks to Mary Anne MacLean, FOGAS has acquired grants totaling over $500,000 in previous years.
Most of this money has gone for the “free” spay and neuter packages for the cats and dogs of Gonzales. (This yr all of the slots have been crammed inside three hours of opening the signup.) This money is NOT earnings to FOGAS. It is in and out; we pay, DSHS reimburses. In different phrases, taxpayers profit, not FOGAS. The quantity these grants save the City is gigantic in labor and money, however unimaginable to quantify. These grants is not going to be available except the City can preserve our no-kill standing.
FOGAS got here to the rescue when the City grew to become involved in regards to the many horses saved inside the City, out of ordinance compliance. FOGAS members spent hours over years revising the horse ordinance.
We sponsored “Horse Health Days” for a number of years the place we supplied discounted vaccinations, worming, access to a veterinarian whereas we labored with the horse homeowners to upgrade their amenities and obtain compliance. The state of affairs is reversing now.
An officer known as me within the spring for assist. I began planning and organizing after which he didn’t return my calls. In giving up shelter administration, FOGAS can be in a greater position to assist with different animal points.
Kingdom Rescue appears to supply our greatest answer. Since GPAW isn’t in a position to proceed as they supposed, FOGAS volunteers are on the shelter serving to out as finest they’re in a position. But FOGAS administration is not a solution.
The City should discover one thing else, and Kingdom Rescue is able to go in a brief few weeks. I hope the City Council will see Kingdom Rescue as the one viable answer right now. Issues round animal providers, like neighborhood cats and horse considerations, might be mentioned with FOGAS and Kingdom Rescue, however for now, we want Kingdom Rescue to have an opportunity to handle the shelter.
Judith Tor is treasurer and a board member for the Friends of Gonzales Animal Shelter (FOGAS).
