Opinion
Can we talk about Olive’s Fund?
Friends and fans of the shelter, I’d like to talk with you a little about Olive’s Fund, and how that works with our shelter budget. Olive’s Fund is the money that we use to pay for “Above and Beyond” care of our shelter animals. We love going above and beyond, so much so that it sometimes becomes hard to say NO. As it stands, I’ve said YES more times than we have funding for in this program, and I need your help to get back on track.
Olive’s Fund is different from the regular shelter budget. We have general funds which we use to pay for vaccines, spay and neuter surgeries, electricity, and all the regular things that a shelter pays for. Typical shelter care for the animals is food, vaccines, a healthy diet, preventatives, and a nice comfy place to wait for a family. Many animals come in needing more than that, and that’s where Olive’s Fund comes in.
It all started with a dog named Olive. She was a stray puppy that came to us after being hit by a car. Funding was not available, but our community stepped forward to save her. The Olive’s Fund was created in honor of that special community effort. We know you want us to save everything that comes in the door, and we do too- and that’s how we got in our predicament.
Since the beginning of the year, we have said YES $2,887.37 more times than our donors generously gave. It’s extremely difficult to say no to sick or injured animals, but I will need to if we cannot get Olive’s Fund back in the black. In addition to the overspending, we have 2 surgeries that we want to do that are waiting on funds.
I’m sorry to ask, but this has been a really challenging year in terms of sick kittens and injured dogs. Here’s what I said yes to so far this year, at a cost of $12,965.52:
Junior (cancerous mass)
Zelda (Emergency C-section)
River (leg amputation)
Jennifer (postpartum emergency)
Uma (blood work)
Ember (urinary stones surgery)
Gato (Entropian surgery)
Tater (cancerous mass)
Geppetto (dental)
Yeti (gunshot wound)
Boots (dental)
Eileen (leg amputation)
Tiger Lilly (dental)
Chevy (leg amputation)
Pumpkin (cancerous Mass)
Ariel (Eye removal)
Paisley (blood work & exam)
Amy (tail amputation)
Lizzie (blood work, eye exam)
Sunkist (Dental)
Stray Cat (Respiratory Emergency)
So there you have it – I’ve said YES more times than we had donations for, and now that funding is negative.
Two more animals are waiting, and the next one could walk in the door at any moment. That’s the struggle of an animal shelter. It’s unpredictable, and we want to save them all.
I’m asking you to please consider a donation to Olive’s Fund so that we can make up the negative of $2,887.37, and fund the next two surgeries. I hope you can understand why I said yes, always thinking that tomorrow’s check would get us back on track.
Keep reading to see the next animals who need us once we get back into the black.
Call me with your questions at 540-635-4734, or stop by and see me M-F 8 am-4 pm.
Thank you,
Meghan Bowers
Humane Society of Warren County
director@humanesocietywarrencounty.org