Grass Valley, CA Sanctuary Parrot Rescue (2/4/02)
"We are closing doors to rescues for now. We are Sanctuary parrot rescue, a 501(c)3 rescue based in California. Our donations have dropped 90% and we can no longer offer safe places for new rescues. We are struggling to provide for the birds who are with us. Thanks for what you are doing to highlight this situation for the public.
Pacifica, CA Mickaboo Cockatiel Rescue (10/17/01) Mickaboo Cockatiel Rescue is currently experiencing a severe drop in donations as well as an overpopulation crisis. In order to be fair to the birds we already have, we have had to close our doors to incoming birds. We are very sad about this unfortunate but necessary step and hope to resume normal operations soon. (This one didn't make headlines, it's just another struggling local rescue!)
Pleasant Hill, OR Cat Sanctuary May Close Doors (10/12/01)
"Many non-profit organizations have seen a slowdown in donations since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
While donations are pouring into relief funds for victims of the attacks, other charities are having difficulty raising money, KOIN 6 News reported.
The 9th Life Cat Sanctuary in Pleasant Hill specializes in taking in inadaptable and wild cats. Organizers told KOIN that they have tamed more than 400 felines.
"The other shelters, you can go to them with your kitties, but if they hiss or if they're pregnant, if they're sick, they're instantly euthanized," Lorna Cook said.
The sanctuary relies on donations to operate, but since Sept. 11, incoming funds have dropped 90 percent, according to KOIN."
San Antonio, Texas & the Southwest Local Charities See Dip In Donations After Attacks (9/21/01)
"Some local charities have hit hard times as a result of a dip in donations. Many understand why people are diverting their charitable donations to New York but it hasn't made it any easier to cope.
The Wild Animal Orphanage, located in San Antonio, houses about 600 animals, including 29 mountain lions, which cost up to $400 a day to feed, and 2,000 primates that munch up $2,000 worth of monkey chow each month. The orphanage largely depends on donations for its survival, but in the past week donations have dipped by 50 percent. "We've been prepared with emergency funds, but we're already tapping into that emergency fund now, which is going to go pretty rapidly," Wild Animal Orphanage President Carol Asvestas said.
Asvestas said that in order to remain in operation, the Wild Animal Orphanage must raise at least $33,000 a month. If a decrease in donations continues, they could face a financial crisis.
The Animal Defense League is also feeling the crunch.
Officials from the largest no-kill pet shelter in the Southwest said that some corporate donors have already told them they are currently diverting all charitable funds to New York."
Los Angeles, California: SPCA to Cut Back as Giving Fades (link no longer valid)
"Citing financial ripple effects of the Sept. 11 East Coast attacks, the Los Angeles chapter of the SPCA is closing two pet adoption centers and firing eight workers."
Lake City, Michigan (from a post on another site 9/25/01) Missaukee Humane Society in Lake City, MI is in severe financial trouble and is seeking any help they can get. This is a non-profit, no-kill shelter, funded solely by donations. Missaukee County has NO county shelter or animal control department, so they face the burden of caring for all of the county's strays and unwanted pets with no financial assistance from the state or county. The shelter has run out of funds and is in danger of having their electricity turned off. Their taxes are due, there is no money for dog and cat food, medical supplies, payroll, or other necessities. They are also having hard time recruiting volunteers to help care for the animals.
The shelter has approx. 50 dogs and 20 cats. Photos can be viewed at https://www.petfinder.org/shelters/missaukeehs.html There are probably several puppies that aren't listed on PetFinder yet. If anyone is able to offer ANY type of assistance (financial, dog or cat food, foster care, pet adoption, fundraising suggestions, etc.) please contact Tina at n20detour@v... or 231-839-3800 (2-6 pm).
Murphy, North Carolina: Save Our Shelter.
". . . Our counties only pay for Animal Control and the Humane Society pays for their share. Or, I should say, that’s the way it SHOULD work! For many years the people at the shelter would ask the county for money and the commissioners would make up their minds how much they wanted to pay. It was never enough but the Humane Society would take money from their budget to buy food and medicine to keep the animal control going. Prices keep going up and it has gotten harder for the folks at the shelter to make ends meet. Now the ends don’t meet at all and my people tell me that we can’t afford to take any more animals into Animal Control unless the county will pay what they should.
Heaven knows that my people have tried! When some of our folks went to the county commissioners and asked for money to run Animal Control, they asked for way too little. Of the $48,000 that they asked, the county gave them $36,000. That wasn’t near enough to pay for the Animal Control part of the shelter. In September of 2000, one of our officers asked the county to look at our budget and see for themselves that we just can’t keep going this way and the county said that we must show them an “audit”. So the members of the Society had a big audit made and had to pay $6,000 for the work. They took the audit to the county and they said, “Tsk, tsk, tsk! But don’t worry! We will work with you for a solution!” And so, we have waited, and waited, and we can’t wait any longer! We are like any other “service” that you contract to do work for you. If you don’t pay your bill, the service is cut off. You people out there just try to go to the grocery store, pick up $150.00 worth of food, push your buggy up to the checkout lane, and tell them you are only going to pay $25.00! Your chances of getting that food is like my chance of finding a filet mignon in my food bowl tonight! . . ."
more will posted as we become aware . . .
This is no longer a debate of breeders vs. rescues, of pet store enthusiasts vs. anti-pet store advocates. This is rapidly becoming a national crisis--a crisis for the animals. It's time to realize that there are serious problems that will be getting drastically worse in the very near future. The state of the economy and the huge diversion of donations to our National Crisis is only starting to be felt in shelters and rescues around the country and around the world.
hits since 9/2001