Edwardsville Intelligencer Article

PARTNERS FOR PETS FACING POSSIBLE CLOSURE                                       March 10, 2011

Rising operational costs, declining donations put non-profit organization in jeopardy

By Jennifer Davis

Local non-profit organization Partners for Pets (P4P) faces the
potential of shutting down a mere seven months after celebrating its
expansion into the Warren Billhartz Animal Shelter. If its current
financial situation continues, P4P could close its doors in as little
as five months.
P4P moved into the Warren Billhartz animal shelter last August with
the intent of taking over the care and adoption of animals and running
the shelter. The volunteer staff of P4P was able to ensure more open
hours for the shelter, and the group’s no-kill mission has led to the
rescue and adoption of animals which were on “kill” lists at other
shelters.
But rising costs of running the program, along with a decline in
donations in past months, has P4P founder Lisa McCormick, of Troy,
worried about the future.
“The biggest problem, of course, is donations are really down,” she said.
Donations are the foundation of groups like P4P, who don’t receive any
money from the State of Illinois. Neither do they receive any
reimbursement from the City of Collinsville. They are funded entirely
through donations, fundraisers, and adoption fees.
“Partners for Pets pays for everything,” McCormick said. “For the
staff, the dog food, the medical care, the spay/neuter clinic.”
Why have donations been down?  “For one, because of the economy,”
McCormick said. But there’s another factor. Ironically, P4P’s
celebrated expansion into the Warren Billhartz Animal Shelter may have
hurt funding. After P4P took control of the shelter last August, says
McCormick, residents began making donations to the animal shelter
thinking the money would go to P4P.
“People write checks out to Warren Billhartz Animal Shelter, but we
don’t get that (money),” she said. “It goes to maintain the building,
but it doesn’t go for care of any of the animals.”
This is because Partners for Pets, not the animal shelter, is in
control of the care, adoption, and medical attention received by all
the animals. They took on these responsibilities, plus keeping the
shelter open 7 days a week, in exchange for use of the facility. To
give money to P4P, donors must write the check specifically to
Partners for Pets.
The monthly cost of operating the Billhartz shelter and its
spay/neuter clinic, is between $20 and $25 thousand, McCormick
estimates. This includes three full-time employees, five part-time
employees, reimbursement for vets who put in hours outside of work to
staff the clinic, animal food, medicine, medical equipment, and
regular bills like heating and water. P4P also runs a small shelter
out of McCormick’s property in Troy where very sick animals are kept
for care.
Operational costs have been heavier than McCormick anticipated when
the shelter first opened. The spay/neuter clinic, which opened last
fall, required purchasing medical equipment such as tables, an oxygen
machine, and recovery cages. A vet tech was hired to assist with
surgeries, as well as an assistant.
“When we’re doing 20 surgeries,” McCormick said, “someone has to help
get the dogs on the table, watch the dogs and cats after they have
their surgery…clean up after everything, check people in when they
come in for the surgeries and check them out.”
The adoption program also necessitated an adoption coordinator to help
place approximately 90 animals in new homes each month. In 2010, 1,102
dogs and cats were rescued and placed in new homes. Currently, more
than 150 animals are in foster care with P4P volunteers or at the
shelter.
With adoption fees at $60 for cats and $125 for dogs, that’s an
average of $10,000 per month in fees. P4P charges $75 for its
spay/neuter services, but this money goes to pay for medication and
sutures for the treated animals.
“I’m just hoping that we get some support here and that it doesn’t
come to (closing our doors),” McCormick said.
She also stated that she wants to continue helping animals. “Last week
we did 65 spay and neuters, and that really does help cut down on
animals that aren’t wanted,” she said. Of the more than one thousand
animals rescued this year, she said, “that’s a lot of animals that
would have otherwise been put down.”
P4P has several fundraising events planned in hopes of getting a boost
to make it through the next few months. The Camelot Bowl in
Collinsville will host a fundraiser bowling tournament on Saturday,
March 12. A dog wash in Edwardsville will take place the next weekend,
and the Fur Ball chicken dinner and dance is coming on April 16. A
golf tournament at Arlington Greens on June 4 rounds out the spring
fundraising season.
The shelter is located at 119 United Drive in Collinsville, and on the
web at Petfinder.com. For more information, call the
shelter at 540-PETS (7387).

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Rachel Davis
Collinsville Reporter
Edwardsville Intelligencer
618-656-4700 ext. 36