Journals > Fundraising > View Entry

Thank you Franny. Very well said! Keep up the great work!

Thank you for your support Sharon. Hopefully as more people get educated on what it takes to run a shelter - and care for many animals - then they may understand.

Great job Susan!!!

great comments guys!
I've recently kind of had words with a woman that feels adoption prices are far too high,considering how many animals are sitting in shelters,and waiting for homes.
I have tried explaining "The costs" of her taking a "free kitten" off of someones hands,and that a Vet trip would far exceed the actual adoption costs,but it's hard for people to get the big picture here.
I liked Susan's comment,"don't think of it as the price for your new family member, but think of it as a donation that enabled the shelter to save the life of this animal and others.
I wish you guys a ton of luck and money.You are all hero's in my book!

You're right about those medical costs. I'd like to share the story of Cornell, a poor kitten who had been staying with Bobbi for many months. He came from the home of a senior citizen who gave up quite a few dogs and cats. They were well cared for, definitely not a case of neglect, but in her 80's she found that she could no longer care for them.

The dogs have been adopted out and so have most of the cats, but there are still a few left. Cornell was one of those young cats who was still at the shelter. He never really liked to be handled and so was passed by month after month by potential adopters. Cornell started to move around less in his cage and was brought to a vet who thought the cat was depressed, so one of Bobbi's volunteers took him home to foster to give him a break from cage life. Unfortunately Cornell's condition didn't improve but got progressively worse. Soon he could not move. He went to a different vet. Test after test was run, and they revealed titers for FIP, but while the titers may indicate an illness, they don't definitely confirm it.

With intensive medical care Cornell improved a little, lifting his head, then he was able to keep himself upright when laying down and his appetite was good. He'd drag himself to the food and water. He wasn't able to use a litter box and had to be cleaned constantly because he would lie in his own waste. Because he was still a young cat, the vet was hopeful, but it was not to be. After two weeks in the hospital, Cornell had stopped improving and was now in intense pain whenever his sides were touched. The vet had warned that his condition could deteriorate rapidly and it did. Cornell is now at rest in a better place.

Why am I telling you this sad story? Because people really don't have an idea of the expenses that are incurred by every no-kill shelter in the country. As it turned out, no amount of money could have saved this cat, yet everything that it took to make the attempt was spent on his care.

Some people question why a shelter charges an adoption fee, well cases like Cornell's are one of the reasons. Every healthy animal must be seen by a vet, be vaccinated, be spayed/neutered, and possibly need a grooming as well. If you've ever been to a vet you know how quickly that can all add up. An average checkup with vaccinations costs nearly $300 at my vet.

Many times the adoption fee doesn't come near to covering the expenses involved in caring for a healthy animal until it finds a home. Fees help to meet the bills for the animals who are adopted and for those who are with us for years, or forever. It would be wonderful if all the shelters could pay their bills just on donations, but it's not the case, so please, the next time you're asked to pay an adoption fee, even if it's $300, don't think of it as the price of your new family member, but think of it as a donation that enabled the shelter to save the life of this animal and others.

Thanks for listening.

Go Team Bobbi!!! Great work Fran!