Orland cat rescue to relocate following metropolis council funding dispute
by Muna Sadek
A calico cat inside Hidden Treasures Cat Sanctuary in Orland, Calif. (KRCR)
ORLAND, Calif. —
An Orland-based cat rescue says they’re shifting places following a prolonged battle with the town council.
Hidden Treasures Sanctuary and Rescue requested monetary backing from the town so as to assist the rescue proceed to spay and neuter stray cats within the space.
According to Owner and Operator Valerie Johnson, it takes about $15,000 to function the sanctuary each month, in addition to make use of employees together with veterinarians and veterinary professionals. This summer season, they requested as much as $7,000 from the City of Orland to assist with bills, telling councilors that they supply a public service to the realm.
The council declined the request, saying they believed the sanctuary ought to function extra like a business as a substitute of a non-profit. After repeated failed requests to the council, Johnson says she’s made the choice to relocate the rescue from the principle metropolis to their household ranch.
“It’s very upsetting. A lot of people have put in a lot of money, time and energy. We’re just so grateful for that, our [county] supervisors and a lot of people. It was just, strictly, city council,” Johnson mentioned. “We definitely felt that we weren’t welcome. They weren’t pro-cat or concerned with any effort to help cats. We would need to have some people on there that care.”
In a Nov. 21 metropolis council assembly, councilors mentioned a proposal from an advert hoc committee on a reimbursement program. The plan would pay again residents who absorb cats for spay, neuter and euthanasia companies. Councilors authorised one-time funding of $25,000 from American Rescue Plan Act {dollars}.
Johnson says she took subject with the inclusion of euthanasia within the proposal. “It’s not what we’re trying to do. It should just be spay and neuter,” she mentioned. The rescue says it has carried out greater than 800 spays and neuters this 12 months.
Speaking to KRCR, City Manager Pete Carr says he believed the reimbursement program would have been sufficient to handle feline overpopulation. Under this system, folks can take cats in for spay and neuter or euthanasia to any licensed veterinarian within the county, and they might be reimbursed for the companies paid as much as $100.
“The city recognizes that it’s a public health issue when you have feral cats. If we can help reduce the overpopulation of unwanted cats and kittens in the community, that’s a good thing for everybody.” Carr mentioned. “This is really a distraction. We have some good people doing a good thing, they want financial help they were looking for a direct payment from the local government to their organization.”
Johnson says she’ll use the subsequent few weeks to work on relocating the middle, together with the cats it homes. “I’m not going to not pay our employees, our doctors. That’s not going to happen,” she mentioned. “It’s just a shame because we had a beautiful opportunity.”
The middle’s new location might be 4209 County Road E in Orland.
“We’re pretty proud we didn’t fail. We’ll continue, but we are set back,” Johnson mentioned. “Sometimes issues like this occur and it finally ends up being a blessing.”
More details about Hidden Treasures Cat Sanctuary could be discovered on-line on their web site and Facebook web page.
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