Outreach is now non-profit
Reaching adoption goals
MOSES LAKE - Grant County Animal Outreach obtained non-profit status last week allowing more opportunities at the shelter.
"This is huge for us as we will be able to apply for grants and receive special discounts for some medical supplies," Outreach President Harmony White stated.
Outreach is consistently meeting their adoption goal of 70 animals per month, she noted. More than 300 animals are impounded or surrendered to the shelter monthly.
"We are seeing several family pets surrendered because of a change in living costs or circumstances," White stated. "This is heartbreaking especially when many are senior-aged animals, over the age of seven, and have a very low adoption rate."
To help aid pet owners who struggle feeding their animals, Outreach applied and is on a waiting list to participate in the Science Diet Shelter Partners program. To participate in the program Outreach is required to be a non-profit organization.
The program provides dry dog and cat food to shelters for free. Shelters are only responsible for paying shipping fees for the food which can result in a 75 percent reduction in food costs at the Moses Lake location, she noted. Approximately $250 per week is spent on food.
Once accepted into the program, all pet food donations given to the shelter will be given to pet owners who have trouble buying pet food.
"We hope to use the donated food in a sort of animal food bank program to assist low-income families," White stated. "The people food bank is prohibited from dispensing animal food."
Outreach board members continue attending various adoption events across the state in an effort to find homes for Grant County animals.
Members attended Woofstock, a large scale adoption event in Tacoma, Sunday. They brought 20 dogs to the event and 13 were adopted, White noted.
"We regularly have pets adopted to the Seattle area and of course a couple to more remote areas," she stated. "My sister recently accompanied a cat to her new home in New York. The new family paid for airfare for both to fly to New York so that the cat they just knew would be perfect for their family could be brought to them."
There is more difficulty finding homes for cats than dogs, she noted. Outreach is working on their "Cat Haven" project which is the future home for shelter cats.
They are hosting a dime-toss at the Grant County Fair next week. They will have a booth with all proceeds going to the project.
Initial construction added some walls but there is work needed for the roof, electrical, paint, floor and ventilation system at the Cat Haven.
"These costs are, of course, very high and so we hope to also raise awareness of the project to encourage more people with this sort of experience to volunteer time helping to get the building as safe and comfortable for the shelter animals as possible," she noted.