Shelter makes headway with strays

The streets are no longer home to strays that used to wander in and around Osceola.

Six months have passed since the opening of Clarke County Animal Shelter and the facility has helped nearly 200 stray, lost, or abandoned animals. The shelter reports 63 dogs and 44 cats have already found homes and more are waiting to be claimed.

"I think we've accomplished a lot in the last six months," shelter manager Sara Carson said. "We've made an impact on the community, but we're looking to make an even bigger impact in the next year."

As part of the planned impact, Carson hopes to work with owners to reduce the number of strays brought in to the shelter.

Owner surrenders aren't typically a problem for the shelter, with less than four happening each month. Carson said she always tries to work with owners to keep the animal until a new home is found.

Osceola Mayor Fred Diehl said he has already seen the shelter's impact on the community.

"It seems to be doing its job," he said. "The number of strays seems to have decreased. I haven't noticed any strays like I've seen them before."

"[The shelter] is serving a good purpose because we had no where to put the stray animals to care for them."

CHANGES

Carson said she is constantly learning and thinking of ways to improve operations at the shelter.

"Thinks are always changing, so I try to look at what works and what works better," she said. "I look at the mistakes made and I'm not afraid to ask questions or contact other shelters to see what they have had to go through."

A change in February will increase the adoption fee. The shelter will require potential pet owners to pay up front for the cost of spaying or neutering their pet. The pet will then be sterilized before it goes to its new home.

"Before, we just had an agreement and people got a voucher to spay or neuter their pet," Carson said. "This will reduce paperwork and ensure animals are getting sterilized like required. The owners won't have to worry about that expense later."

The shelter will make the appointment for the owner at any vet requested.

The increased fee hasn't been set yet and will be discussed at the shelter's January meeting. The adoption cost is currently $25 for a cat, $50 for a dog and $65 for a puppy.

Along with requiring sterilization, Carson hopes to educate the public on the importance of spaying and neutering pets, a move that could potentially lighten the shelter's load.

"This type of job is stressful with a high turn over rate with animals," Carson said. "Sterilization will help because we won't have so many unwanted pets. This is a no-kill shelter and there's a lot of stress on us because of the unwanted pets."

A fundraising tactic will also help the shelter achieve it's goal. The facility recently started selling identification tags. Each tag raises $3 for the shelter and 52 have already been sold.

"It helps the owner when the dog has a tag on and it helps us return a lost dog," Carson said.

COST

Operating a shelter is a costly endeavor. Carson said each month, they spend an estimated $5,000 to run the shelter.

"And we're still using donated dog and cat food," Carson said.

The shelter will accelerate their fundraising efforts and try to produce a monthly income to reduce their money worries. Carson said donations fluctuate every month, which can be hard on the budget.

"We never know what to expect, but we're very thankful for what we do get," she said. "We're trying to come up with ideas to maintain a monthly income so we know what to expect."

December donations came to $800, while October's totaled $200.

But the shelter doesn't solely rely on these donations. Carson said in that same October, they received $830 for accepting city and county strays and $250 in reclaiming fees.

In the six months since existence, adoption fees have produced $2,000 for the shelter.

With the money raised, the facility will purchase land to the east of their building. Currently, the shelter rents the land at no cost to them through an agreement with the land owner.

Carson said they want to build a fence surrounding the land so the dogs are more secured when they are in that area.

Residents can help the shelter achieve their goals by getting their taxes done at H&R Block. The company will donate $25 to the shelter for new clients.

The facility is also looking for people or businesses to sponsor their weekly advertisements for $40 and always needs volunteers.

Without the help that the community gives, the shelter wouldn't exist, Carson said.

"We just have to thank the volunteers, businesses and everyone who has really supported the shelter," she said. "Even the small things help. Without the community's help, we wouldn't be able to survive."