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FSPCA Gets Help From Many in Area During Floor Repairs

Photo courtesy Jen Altieri


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Published: January 25, 2012 By Heather Harris

When the dogs of the Fluvanna County SPCA were in need of temporary homes, two local organizations opened their doors to lend a helping hand. While repairs were being made to the floors of the shelter, Caring For Creatures and Pampered Pets of Charlottesville took in a combined total of six dogs for a period of about two weeks.

Fifteen other dogs were sent to a rescue facility in New Jersey and are on their way to finding adoptive homes. The rest of the dogs were kept in other areas of the building until construction work was completed.

Page Davis, of Caring for Creatures, said, “We are always happy to help, and thanks to recent successful adoptions, we are finally in the position to do so again.” The facility took in two hounds during the shelter renovations.

“It is a small contribution to the four-legged community of Central Virginia,” said Jim Brown, of Pampered Pets. “We have donated lodging to the FSPCA, Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA and Caring for Creatures for similar needs.”

During a yearly inspection by the Office of the State Veterinarian, the FSPCA was informed that their floors did not meet standards and would need to be repaired. Wear and tear on flooring is a common problem, according to shelter director Tricia Johnson. “It’s not anything unusual. When you house a lot of animals together, you have to be able to thoroughly disinfect the floors,” Johnson said.

The county paid for the renovations that brought the shelter back up to state code. If repairs hadn’t been made, the shelter risked being fined, something that would have seriously endangered the future of the facility.

Financially, the shelter is facing difficulty taking care of all the animals it takes in, especially during a stray animal’s holding period. When a stray arrives, the shelter is required to keep it between five-10 days, allowing the owners a chance to claim it. The FSPCA pays the entire bill for an animal’s care during this time period, receiving no help from the county.

Contract negotiations between the FSPCA and Fluvanna County are set to take place, and there is a chance the county could take control of the facility. Johnson fears the animals would face an uncertain future is this change were to take place.

She said, “Fluvanna County, right now, is a no-kill community and we have been for two years. That is a very rare occurrence, especially in a rural community. If the county runs the pound, there’s no guarantees as to what will happen.”

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Reader Comments
by Kristen Minnis of Troy, VA Jan. 25, 2012, 01:08 PM

Thanks to the RV for highlighting the most recent work at the Fluvanna SPCA.  We noticed a few meaningful errors in this story and would like to offer corrections in the interest of providing accurate information to the community.

The Fluvanna SPCA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to rescue homeless pets and place them in good, loving homes.  The FSPCA is contracted by Fluvanna County to provide animal pound services in accordance with Virginia law.  Last year when the pound contract was due to expire, the County and the FSPCA reached a 9-month agreement (through 6/30/2012) in which the County agreed, in lieu of paying additional monthly compensation to the FSPCA, to assume financial responsibility for any modifications to the FSPCA facility directed by the State Vet’s office.  Failure to make the modifications cited by the State Vet could result in fines being levied upon Fluvanna County.

The pound services contract between Fluvanna County and the FSPCA currently provides for $80,000 in base compensation from the County to offset expenses the FSPCA incurs as a result of providing state-mandated animal pound services, which includes care of impounded animals during the initial 5- or 10-day hold period.  The Fluvanna SPCA estimates actual costs for providing pound services run $120,000 to $150,000 per year, depending on the volume of animal intakes and the medical conditions of incoming animals.  While the County’s compensation to the FSPCA does not cover all of the costs for providing pound services, the County does contribute financially to the care of Fluvanna’s pound animals.

The FSPCA has begun discussions with the County on this year’s upcoming contract renewal.  In order to continue this partnership, the County will need to compensate the Fluvanna SPCA at a fair market rate that would cover the actual expenses related to providing the community’s animal pound services.  The FSPCA has run an animal pound for the past two years with a 92% and 93%, respectively, save rate.  Only 26 communities in the entire country have made this achievement at an open-admission animal shelter.  Because of the community’s generous individual and business donors, the Fluvanna SPCA has been able to provide good quality medical care and adoption services to all treatable and adoptable pound animals despite the historical underfunding from the County.

Fluvanna County will have to decide whether it will pay for the actual costs of pound services provided by the FSPCA.  Should the County decide to not continue contracting with the FSPCA for animal pound services after 6/30/2012, the Fluvanna SPCA would continue operating as an animal rescue organization.  If this were to happen, the County would either have to run its own pound or contract with another agency to provide pound services for Fluvanna.  The Fluvanna SPCA believes it can provide the best quality pound services for the least expense, and sincerely desires to continue serving as the County pound.

We appreciate the Rural Virginian keeping local citizens informed on issues that impact not only pet owners but taxpayers as well.

Respectfully,
Kristen Minnis
FSPCA President


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