Grant County Animal Outreach wants control

Outreach hopes to replace current shelter board

MOSES LAKE — Citizens are forming a group in hopes of taking control of the Moses Lake/Grant County Humane Society animal shelter.

Last week the Grant County Humane Society sought to end contracts with Moses Lake and Grant County, releasing them as the controlling entity of the shelter.

The idea of creating a new group to replace the humane society was presented to the Moses Lake City Council last week by group leaders Harmony White and Peny Archer.

Council did not make a decision due to lack of information.

The group held their first meeting Saturday to formulate themselves and to come up with a plan to present to the city.

The group calls themselves Grant County Animal Outreach.

They are comprised of concerned citizens, shelter volunteers and past Moses Lake/Grant County Humane Society board members Paula Stout and White.

They are seeking non-profit status to begin raising funds for the project.

"We have to be financially ready," member Rick Farley said. "You're asking the city to invest in us."

They hope to raise enough funds to entice the city to allow them to take over. Their startup goal is $30,000 to pay for the bare minimum necessities for one year such as electric bills, employee salaries and euthanasia drugs.

Outreach is turning to citizens for donations.

They are also working with current shelter management to send animals to various rescue organizations to keep the current animals from being euthanized.

Member Tom McDade suggested group members monitor the shelter, take photos of animals and conditions and keep track of how many animals are euthanized.

"They're coming in and they're going out in a barrel," McDade said.

He is concerned that although the shelter was designated a "no kill" shelter, animals are still being euthanized.

In a previous interview with the Columbia Basin Herald, shelter Manager Theresa Parker said animals will still be euthanized under the new policy if they are sick or dangerous.

Farley said he was concerned with how animals are considered to be sick or dangerous.

"I don't really want to hound this woman but what I want her to know is somebody is watching," McDade said about Parker.

Member Shawn McDowell said he was curious about where donated funds for the shelter would go under the current board when they release control of the shelter.

"They are not going to part with a single red cent voluntarily, unless we could ask them, possibly for some startup costs, they might do it just to keep it quiet," White said about the current board.

"She's keeping her stuff, she doesn't care about the shelter, she's keeping her money, she's keeping her Calico Cat … she will not give up the money," White said about current board Co-President Marilyn Bertram.

"I've heard the amount of money they have go from $130,000 to $700,000," McDade said.

The group claims there are several thousand dollars in donated funds for the shelter they are at risk of not receiving when the current board terminates control.

Evidence of the amount of alleged donated funds have yet to be presented publicly.

McDade suggested taking legal action against the board in the future to obtain any funds.

"That would be terrific if that were true, we would have built our shelter," Bertram said about the alleged funds.

She said she did not know how much money was in the donation fund but it is not close to the funds presented by McDade. It is unclear where the figures originated.

"We've been struggling to pay our bills," Bertram said.

The donated funds pay for employee salaries, animal care, euthanasia drugs and electric bills. She said, like most shelters, there is a struggle to make ends meet.

The funds raised by the board will stay with the board after shelter control is released, Bertram said.

The board is not required to give any funds away.

Bertram said the board remains in control of the Calico Cat Thrift Store to raise funds for other programs benefiting animals.

The funds remaining with the board and raised by the thrift store will be used for animal programs including a low-cost spay and neuter program.

"That is something we have been talking about for years," she said.

Bertram said she is fine with the Outreach wanting to take over the shelter and hopes they find alternative routes of raising funds for their programs.

Bertram adds she cares about the shelter but the operation had to be released due to monetary issues, not animal cruelty issues. Originally the board worked to raise money for a new, larger shelter, but they missed their goal. All funds raised for the building were returned to the donors, she said.

The humane society board is releasing the animal shelter to the city by July 9. It may be sooner if the city negotiates to do so.

For more information about the group, contact White at 509-760-4343.