A Chance at Life

By Caitlin Luedke

Coalition of local pet shelters works to eliminate euthanasia by 2015

The lobby of the Alachua County Humane Society is small and clean. Dogs are barking from the kennels outside in the background. There are black and white portraits of different animals on the walls, pictures children have drawn of their adopted pets and a cork-board advertising the need for various donations: cleaning supplies, 13-gallon bags, and most of all, volunteers.

Next to the cork-board is a small piece of paper with the Humane Society’s goals and policies. First and foremost on the sheet — Alachua County Humane Society is a no-kill shelter.

Alachua County is currently working toward becoming a no-kill county, ending the euthanasia of healthy and adoptable pets. The Alachua County Humane Society is the leading organization of this movement by Maddie’s Pet Rescue.

Maddie’s is comprised of five shelters in the county dedicated toward reaching no-kill status by 2015. The combined efforts of the Humane Society, Haile’s Angles, Puppy Hill Farm, Gainesville Pet Rescue and Helping Hands Pet Rescue have lowered the amount of animals put down from 8,063, the 2000 baseline, to just under 3,000 this past year.

The formation of Maddie’s was brought about by the need to stop euthanasia at Alachua County Animal Services.

The Humane Society, and other local shelters, cannot take animals directly from citizens. Animals must first go to Animal Services.

“Animal Services does all the enforcement work; it’s where strays go,” said Eric Vanness, the executive director of the Humane Society.

It’s the middle-man for Alachua County animal shelters. Since all strays first end up at Animal Services, and not all are able to be taken in by the no kill-shelters in town due of lack of space and workers, space at Animals Services is a constant problem. Euthanasia is one option to continuously open up room for incoming animals.

Before turning to euthanasia, when space is getting slim at Animal Services, its employees send a list of animals on “death row” to the no-kill shelters in Alachua County. Vanness said that his shelter picks last, and they try to take as many animals as possible based on space-to-staff.

The Humane Society relocated in February of this year. With more than double the space of its previous facility, the shelter would be able house more animals and keep more off of the euthanasia list. However, the society was forced to reduce its staff by about half, due to lack of funding and the $400,000 spent beyond projected costs for the new building.

A total of four full-time Animal Care Service Workers, the society’s paid staff, and one of the two administrators were lost in the move.

Opening shifts at the Humane Society are strenuous on staff. They must open the building and ensure that supplies and animals are in order. They oversee distribution of medicine to animals and check in on dogs and cats in quarantine or special care areas.

Cages need to be cleaned, dogs need to be taken out and played with, cats must be groomed and cared for, and food and water must be replenished. Opening shifts pick up where the evenings leave off, and employees must also make sure there are no problems throughout the building in the midst of these tasks. With the aid of volunteers, these tasks can be completed while employees work on their other duties.

The more volunteers there are, the more interactions they can provide with each dog and cat and the more area they can clean and maintain. Thus, the more volunteers, the more animals that can be saved. Vanness said that there are about 900 volunteers on file, but only 60-70 actually come to volunteer. And there are even fewer regulars.

People fill out a volunteer application online and then need to go through an orientation training session. But not all who fill the application follow through with orientation.

Another issue lies in those only trying to fulfill a community service obligation.

“They have 15-hour requirements and they can honestly do that in three or four days,” said Vanness. “It’s not the easiest to recruit past that.”

Audrey Geoffroy, a volunteer since September 2009, said that it doesn’t have to be a difficult thing to volunteer and that anyone should try. Geoffroy is one of the Humane Society’s regular volunteers, and she brings her daughter with her to look after the cats.

“I enjoy it, all [the cats’] personalities, you really get to know them,” she said.

While caring for animals is always on the surface at the Humane Society, economic constraints struggle in the background, dictating what the society can accomplish with its staff and volunteers.

Eric Vanness said maintaining the payroll for his staff continues to be the biggest obstacle the society faces. Without the proper funds, the society can’t hire more hands to help, in turn reducing the amount of animals taken in.

“Everything comes back to staff,” he said.

Donations help, but they can’t fully cover the $130,000 mortgage from the new building, salaries, supplies and expenses.

“People donating don’t want to pay someone’s salary,” Vanness said. It’s easier for someone to donate an old dog bed or toys that the Humane Society’s Thrift Store can sell.

The Humane Socetiy’s Thrift Store is its main source of income. The store offers retail, pet food, flea care and spay/neuter vouchers. Donations are taken and resold for affordable prices, though Vanness did chuckle a bit as he recounted some of the more questionable conditions of a few donations.

Zach Toundas, an Animal Care Service Worker, spoke adamantly about the Humane Society’s mission. He said that with the community’s efforts, the goal of becoming a no-kill county could be reached.

“Volunteers are the only reason we can do what we do here.”

How you can get involved…

To join the Alachua County Humane Society volunteering staff, go to alachuahumane.org and fill out a volunteer application. You’ll be contacted by the Humane Society’s volunteer coordinator and can then sign up for an orientation time.

If you would like to donate, the Thrift Store accepts lightly used donations, or you can give money directly to the Humane Society.

Interested in adopting a dog or cat yourself, check out this story for tips on responsible pet ownership.

All photos taken by Ashley Crane at the Alachua County Humane Society.

Update: We have more photos from ACHS. Check them out >>