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Old 04-12-2010, 11:35 AM   #2
yorkieusa
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kansas
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Before the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City teamed up with the Kansas City, Kan., police animal control unit in a program called Ray of Hope in January 2009, the majority of strays at the pound had to be euthanized to make room for ever more animals.

But as The Kansas City Star reported in June, tireless efforts by police, the Humane Society and other groups to get animals adopted or transferred to rescue groups achieved a drop in the euthanasia rate at the pound to less than 4 percent in the first five months of 2009, compared with 54 percent in the same period the year before.

A stunning success. But a few months later, even though the euthanasia rate had fallen even more, enough to earn the designation of a no-kill shelter — extremely rare nationwide for a police animal control operation — the program was in danger of shutting down for lack of funds, as The Star reported in August.

Fortunately for the skinny chocolate Lab, several good things have happened since then:

•The Ray of Hope program got 400 new donors after the August story in The Star, said Robin Rowland, the Humane Society’s vice president for fund development, enough to ensure continuous operation to date.

•The program has qualified to receive a $40,000 Maddie’s Fund grant. The Alameda, Calif.-based family foundation supports pet rescue organizations in 41 states and the District of Columbia. The foundation was started by PeopleSoft and Workday founder Dave Duffield, and his wife, Cheryl.

The grant money will be used to pay for food, supplies, spay/neuter surgeries and other medical care. In 2009, the Ray of Hope program cost the Humane Society $135,150 to save 2,094 animals. That does not include the costs to the humane society of paying vets, vet techs and kennel attendants to care for the animals.

Rowland hopes the $40,000 starter grant will arrive this spring or summer. Even better, if the pound maintains its low euthanasia rate through the end of the year, Ray of Hope will qualify for a $460,000 one-time grant in mid-2011.

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