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Saga Humane Society to Close Full Time Vet Clinic and Reduce Services Due to Mounting Financial Pressures.
- Press Release, Saga Humane Society, January, 4, 2011 - Saga Humane Society regrets to announce that it will no longer be able to maintain a full time veterinary clinic or to provide free clinic services to low income pet owners. Saga will continue on a limited basis to take in surrendered and stray animals, and to do stray dog roundups, and follow up on abuse and neglect cases, but only as its finances will allow.
Saga has found itself to be in an unsustainable financial position after months of struggles - license limitations placed on its full time vet leading to loss of paying customers, financial pressures from the poor economy, increased surrenders of animals, increased requests and referrals for free services, and local competitive factors.
In order to continue Saga’s mission to promote kindness and prevent cruelty to animals as best it can, Saga must downsize and reorganize. As part of that downsizing, Saga’s full time vet clinic has been closed as of today.
Saga intends to re-open the vet clinic on a part time basis for one or two days a week in the near future. The clinic will primarily serve the needs of Saga’s own shelter animals, but also to provide some services to the public on a paid basis. This part time schedule will be announced.
Besides thanking the many people who have continued to support and believe in Saga’s mission over the last 10 years, Saga’s Board and Staff would like to especially acknowledge and thank their dearly departed friend Michael Fox, who made a generous gift to Saga in his will. It should be noted by the public, however, that Saga has not received any of this money yet, and that under the terms of the will and gift, Saga won’t receive anything until Mr. Fox’s assets are liquidated and all other parties named in the will have received their gifts first. This could easily take a year or two.
Saga’s focus in going forward will be primarily the operation of a shelter, adoption and public education center, while also promoting the spay and neuter of the local animal population. Saga will also continue taking in and caring for surrendered and stray animals, and to provide dog roundups and follow up on abuse and neglect cases so long as it can do so. Saga intends to reform and reorganize its business model to create a more sustainable organization in the long term, including a sponsorship program that will enable individuals or businesses to take on all or part of the support of an individual animal, key staff member or critical expense.
So, now, more than ever, Saga needs its public’s support, kind sponsors, both individuals and businesses, you who understand and know the importance of what Saga does for this community and its animals every day.
Just last week, Saga was finally able, after over a year of effort, to rescue a dog who lost his owner as a puppy and had his outgrown collar deeply embedded into the flesh of his neck (thanks Heather for your generous volunteer time and the dog trap!). And to help put a poor dog humanely out of his misery who suffered an amputation from a machete blow up North (thanks for calling us to let us know so we could help!). Saga gets calls like this and goes out to help animals in the community day in and day out, week after week. We need your help to continue during this critical time in Saga’s history.
Please make your donations at Saga’s place of business on Sea Star Street (one block west of the Island Academy’s athletic fields) or go to Saga’s website to make a secure donation at
http://www.sagahumanesociety.org/
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