Humane Society funding fine for a job half done
I read the budget for the Humane Society for 2003 printed in a recent Southern Standard. The amount for labor was $37,751 for the year. That may not be a lot for a job well done, but it is a lot for a job half done or not done at all in some areas.
My husband and I live about 100 yards from the animal shelter and for years we have been getting about as many strays dumped at our place as the shelter gets. Many times we have called and asked for help in catching the puppies, kittens, cats and dogs. The animals are always scared and hungry, but I have a way with animals and would feed and pet them and after a week or so, with no help from the shelter, we would catch them and take them there ourselves. The shelter employees would promise to be right over but they never would show up.
After we took the strays over there, us doing their job, we would give them a $5 donation some of the time.
A few years ago, I volunteered to take care of a dog no one else could handle. He was deformed somewhat, and unpredictable. He was underweight and would let no one near him. I won him over, bought him food and was planning on adopting him, but after two months of work, time and money, they carelessly left his gate open and he was gone forever.
We have been calling for over a year trying to get them to pick up about five strays that hang around the neighborhood and keep coming into our yard and all we get is a promise, “Oh, we will be right over and see what we can do.”
These dogs have tried to bite my husband on more than one occasion. We have even asked to use box traps, but so far all we get is empty promises. That’s why I no longer donate to the animal shelter. The wrong animal might put it in their pocket.
Sincerely,
Patricia Jones
478 Fairground Road
McMinnville