After 20 years, local animal shelter continues fight to save pets
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As part of National Shelter Week, we at the Mission Valley Animal Shelter want to thank the community for all of its support over the past 20 years. Yes, we have been around that long, but there are still misconceptions about what we can and cannot do.
First and foremost, we find new homes for abandoned and neglected dogs and cats. We reunite lost pets with their owners. We also have many different spay/neuter programs available to the general public.
We are proud that over the years we have evolved so that we are now a “no-kill” shelter. Many believe that they should not bring an animal to us because we will kill it. Not so.
As a result of our no-kill policy, we are often full of animals and cannot take in any more. We are a very small shelter and our space is limited. We do strive to work with those who bring an animal to the shelter when we are full, offering alternatives. Please understand that when we are full, we are full, and there is “no room at the inn.”
Everyone at the Mission Valley Animal Shelter strives to help each and every dog and cat that they can. However, because of our limited space and limited finances during these bad economic times, we do have to turn away animals that we wish we could help. We put pets on waiting lists, but we often are asked to take in strays that have nowhere else to go. It does break our hearts to have to turn away any animal, but we try to do the best we can during difficult times and circumstances.
It also bears repeating (which we have done for 20 years) that the Mission Valley Animal Shelter is a privately-funded animal shelter, relying on donations from the community. We do not receive any governmental funding. No one in our community pays taxes to help support the animal shelter. We have to raise money on our own, which is very difficult in a small, economically depressed area.
Donations and adoptions have been down for years, reflecting the economic times. Everyone at the shelter works under stressful conditions because our main concern is for the animals, and our goal is to find a home for every dog and cat that ends up at our shelter.
We need the community’s moral and financial support. Please consider becoming a volunteer to help those at the shelter. If you have a dog or cat that is not spayed or neutered, give us a call for help. Letting animals breed just increases the number of unwanted pets and fills up our shelter needlessly.
Editor’s note: Brenda Jones is the operations manager for the Mission Valley Animal Shelter.
