Dear editor:
The Humane Society of Garland County would like to clarify that our organization is a private, nonprofit animal rescue. We are 100 percent donation funded. We rely 100 percent on donations of cash, food and supplies for our animals at the kennel, and donations to sell at our thrift store.
Some folks in the community are under the impression that our organization is receiving proceeds from the voluntary tax added to your property tax bill. The Humane Society of Garland County is not receiving any funding from taxes whatsoever. Please do not stop donating to us.
We find homes for hundreds of animals every year, and your donations are essential to our cause. The more donations we get, the more animals we can help. Every animal rescued through our organization is one less animal taken in to the city shelter, so our organization saves hundreds of animal lives every year in Garland County. We anticipate that we will play a role in future county endeavors for a new shelter, but this is not yet decided.
After meeting with the county judge three weeks ago, we realized that the county is planning to collect the voluntary tax prior to moving forward with plans to build a county facility, which will take at least a year before any action will be taken. We are hoping the county and city can work together to build a more comprehensive system which would result in reduced euthanization rates of adoptable animals. This goal is achievable through increased efforts to place animals into safe, loving homes, as well as through spay and neuter programs and education of the community.
However, we cannot wait for that to happen, because our existing facility is in dire need of replacement. We are moving forward with plans to build a new building for Humane Society of Garland County at our existing site in Lonsdale with donated funds raised specifically for this purpose. We hope to collaborate with the county in some capacity in the future, as there is plenty of work to do to achieve our ultimate goal of having a "no kill" county.
We do know that the county plans to dedicate any tax funds raised to animal welfare. In other words, your voluntary tax shouldn't be spent on something else besides animal welfare. We encourage taxpayers to pay the voluntary tax of $10 because we believe that the result will be a future improvement of animal welfare in Garland County. We just aren't sure yet what our role will be in that endeavor.
Again, please continue to support Humane Society of Garland County with your generous donations. The lives of hundreds of dogs and cats depend on it every year.
Shauna Lucas
HSGC Board of Directors
Editorial on 03/22/2017