Humane Society asks governmental bodies for increased funding

With contributions on a continued decline, the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri in Cape Girardeau is asking several governmental bodies to ratchet up their level of funding to the organization that took in nearly 4,000 animals last year.

In the past few months, board members have made appeals to city leaders in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Chaffee and the Cape Girardeau County Commission.

Their message was straightforward -- the organization is struggling with its bottom line.

"We are stable, but money has never been easy," board member Charlotte Craig said. "We've always had to work hard to keep the doors open, as does every shelter."

Now, the local Humane Society is proposing what it describes as a "Fair Share" program, which calls on the communities that have contracts with it to pay half of the actual cost that is spent on housing, food, medical care, vaccinations, cleaning, manpower and, in some cases, euthanization.

Craig, who is also the director of the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center, said the actual cost per animal is $90.25. Actual costs for the local Humane Society in 2011 were $360,000 in a year that saw 3,989 animal intakes. That number includes runaways, strays and abandoned pets.

Of that number, 1,499 were received from Cape Girardeau, either through police nuisance abatement officers or residents, which is 38 percent of all the mostly dogs and cats that were cared for at the facility on Boutin Drive. Jackson intakes totaled 492; Cape Girardeau County's was 597 and Scott City's was 136. The shelter also takes in animals from several other regional counties and sometimes other states.

Some of the government jurisdictions that prepare budgets for the calendar year have already upped their contributions. After the presentation in December, the county commission increased its commitment from $16,000 in 2011 to $21,000 this year. Jackson actually was able to pay its half-share, pushing up its portion from $9,800 in 2011 to $22,100 this year.

"The board found what they do very valuable," Jackson city administrator Jim Roach said. "We're certainly pleased with the work they do, and we've had no complaints."

The Cape Girardeau City Council reviewed a letter from the Humane Society asking for an increase at its recent retreat as it looked at its next budget, which begins June 1. If the city were to pay half the cost of the animals from within the city limits, Cape Girardeau's portion would be $67,265. In 2011, Cape Girardeau's contract with the Humane Society paid it $40,800. For fiscal 2013, the council has approved $43,800.

Mayor Harry Rediger said whether the council will be able to do better than that is still unclear. The council needs to discuss the matter more, he said, though he added that everyone recognizes how valuable the Humane Society's work is.

"They do a good service for us," Rediger said. "I know they have needs to update and to expand. ... But we really haven't got down to serious discussions at the council level yet about where to go with that and how much to do."

Chaffee has agreed to a contract with the Humane Society for the first time, Craig said, agreeing to a half-year amount to see how much it affects the city's bottom line. The Illinois communities of Tamms and Thebes also offer up smaller amounts for their relatively small number of animals that are brought to the shelter. Several other poorer counties do not contribute anything, something Craig says the board understands.

"We know not everyone can afford that," she said. "We don't want anybody thinking we're trying to hold them up. We're not trying to pit one community against another. We've always been able to stay in the black. It's just not easy and it's not to a large degree."

It is also important to note, Craig said, that the state and national Humane Society organizations are independent of the local group and do not contribute at all to the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri. The vast majority of funding comes from individual donations, sponsorships and fundraising events.

"Very few people get the fact that the Humane Society of the United States does not support local shelters," Craig said. "In fact, most of the people who realize that are in the business. Sarah McLachlan tears people up with that song and people donate to them thinking they're donating to us. They're not."

The Humane Society of Missouri also subsists on individual donations, spokeswoman Jeane Jae said. The state Humane Society operates shelters in the St. Louis area and operates animal rescue missions. But Jae said they realize it's a tough battle for local shelters.

"I know that it's very difficult for lots of smaller shelters," she said. "And I think there are those misconceptions about the national organization. But they certainly have their place in animal welfare. We all benefit from them. They do lobbying and legislative work on a national basis. It isn't that I don't think they should be supported. People who want to support animal welfare in their community should support their local shelters."

Craig said it's not as though the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri is in imminent danger of closing. But the shelter needs a new, bigger building. If 50 additional animals were taken there, it would not be able to take them. The shelter is full every day, she said.

"It's just like a hospital," she said. "The animals are cared for. Our costs are 365 days a year. We're not open to the public every day, but those animals are taken care of every day."

About 50 percent of stray dogs and less than half of the cats are adopted, said Requi Salter, the shelter's interim director. But she was quick to point out that the animals put down include vicious and older dogs and feral cats. Many of the animals that are healthy and have a sound temperament are adopted.

Nuisance abatement officers have around-the-clock access and are provided with an after-hours key. Ty Metzger, the nuisance abatement officer with the Cape Girardeau Police Department, said his officers go to the Humane Society as many as five times a day. The city doesn't house animals and the Humane Society is paid to take that burden from them.

Craig said she shudders to think what would happen if the Humane Society were forced to close its doors. The shelter also protects the public health, she said, from the standpoint of dog bites, feral cats and overpopulation.

"I can't imagine 1,500 more animals running loose in Cape, just Cape, if the shelter wasn't there," Craig said. "I just can't imagine. What would the community do?"

smoyers@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

2536 Boutin Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO