Animal shelter on pace for record year of adoptions, needs funds

Published Jan 11, 2012 at 3:35 pm (Updated Jan 11, 2012)

In a quarterly report sent to the Metro Council today, the Companion Animal Alliance says it's been setting records for adoptions in recent months and is on pace to break last year's record number of approximately 1,800 adoptions. "Since August, only 20 weeks into operations, we have had 920 adoptions," reads a letter from Companion Animal Alliance board Chair Christel Slaughter to the council. "If we are able to sustain our current adoption rate, we will top 2,200 adoptions for the first year of our private/public partnership with you." The progress, Slaughter goes on to say, is not coming without a cost. Companion Animal Alliance is supplementing the funds it gets from the city-parish to cover basic operations. "This means we will have to raise approximately $600,000 in private donations to continue to operate at this level," the letter reads. "This figure does not include items such as emergency repairs, which were needed recently for a fork lift, or the much publicized kennel repairs that are taking place on the animal cages." The Metro Council is currently looking at making changes to its agreement with Companion Animal Alliance to improve shelter operations and outcomes, and will take up the issue at today's 4 p.m. meeting on the third floor of the Governmental Building, 222 St. Louis St.