Spaying program in jeopardy
High demand, few volunteers make it difficult to close budget gap, as SPCA considers long-term viability of organization
Sarah Ladik
Northern News Services
Published Monday, February 3, 2014
HAY RIVER
January was poised to set records at the Hay River Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, according to president Lesli Ward, with 14 dogs and at least eight kittens already coming through the shelter in the first few weeks of 2014.
"Wow is right," she replied in response to the surrender log detailing the number of pets being handed over to the SPCA at the group's last meeting Jan. 22.
"Already 14. That's a lot."
While the shelter isn't yet struggling for money, it is seeing its funds dwindle with every year it posts a loss.
There is also the problem - one Ward said the SPCA is not facing alone - of fewer volunteers stepping up.
"What it comes down to is a small group of people doing a lot of work," she said, adding that part of the reason the group can't fundraise as much money as in previous years is that there just aren't enough people to contribute.
"I don't think we have the people to do the lasagne bake-off," she said of the popular fundraiser that netted the shelter thousands of dollars in past years.
"We would have to partner with another organization."
It still has money in the bank, but treasurer Sandy Whitteker said it's shrinking fast.
"We can't keep losing money every year," she said at the meeting.
"We have to at least break even, or we're going to have to start cutting things, like the spay-neuter program."
The program, which currently refunds $150 for the operation to spay or neuter a dog and $100 for a cat to anyone who applies, used to be funded by a yearly donation from the Hay River Legion.
The legion, however, has been unable to donate the $5,000 in the last three years, and Whitteker said the program is an expensive one to run without support.
"We just have to cut back expenses," she said.
Whitteker also added the society's membership has seen a steady decline in recent years, making it difficult to not only get all the work needed done at the shelter itself, but also raise awareness and money at a board level.
"We used to have eight or nine really active members on this board. Our meetings were always full," she said.
"It's a bit sad to see now."
Whitteker hypothesized that support dropped off when the organization got the contract for the town pound from the municipality five years ago, but Ward said that partnership has been a saving grace.
When stray dogs are picked up by Hay River's bylaw officer, they are brought to the Hay River SPCA until their owners pay the fine.
For this service, the municipality contributes about $40,000 a year to the shelter.
"We are so grateful to the town for their contribution," Ward said.
"Without them, we wouldn't be able to do this at all."
