Animal shelter workers, volunteers have a thankless, but important j

Published 3:37 pm Wednesday, December 13, 2017

There was a time when Elizabethton and Carter County did not have an animal shelter. It meant rounding up animals in the streets and doing away with them. Thankfully, those days are long gone.
There was a time when animal shelters were called “dog pounds.” There was no spaying or neutering of pets, no adoption of animals. However, public support for improved animal control policies has led to significant organizational, service delivery and shelter facility changes not only in Carter County, but all across the country.
The Elizabethton/Carter County Animal Shelter has had its share of problems, but efforts are being made to provide a healthy and appropriate environment for animals that is conducive to the needs of the community, the animals and the goals and programs of the facility itself.
The District Attorney General’s Office has found no criminal activity in investigative findings of an audit performed by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office. The fund shortage the audit reported were funds collected by shelter personnel, but later sent to the Friends of the Elizabethton/Carter County Animal Shelter group — money that was improperly transferred, but not lost.
While a new Board is in place to oversee the shelter’s activities, steps should be taken to ensure that all funds are properly deposited and that there is an accounting for all funds received and dispensed. Volunteers from the beginning have had a role at the local animal shelter. In fact, it was volunteers that initiated and oversaw the building of a new animal shelter a few years ago. They should continue to have a role at the shelter to be decided by the Board.
Volunteers are an essential part of providing animal shelter care and rescue as most shelters are underfunded and understaffed. They should not run the shelter, but be there as a support group to the staff and Board. The Board and the shelter personnel should be the lead people in the operation of the shelter. The shelter should not have to depend on Friends groups for operating funds. And funds raised by the Friends of the Shelter should supplement operating funds.
The operating budget of the animal shelter includes everything from salaries, to building maintenance, to dog and cat food, much of which is paid for with taxpayer money. Without it, many animal shelters would close.
Yet, just like most other organizations, animal shelters must also rely on fundraisers and other events to drum up support. This is where the accounting of funds must be fully made. This seems to be what happened at the Elizabethton/Carter County Animal Shelter. The funds were there but due to improper accounting and too much swapping of funds between the shelter and the Friends group, not everyone knew where the funds ended up.
The Elizabethton/Carter County Animal Shelter is doing a wonderful work. Most of its work is done quietly, and with little or no fanfare. But its work is profound and critically important. So, is the work of the Friends group. The people who work day in and day out on behalf of the voiceless deserve some praise. They don’t necessarily deserve much of the criticism being pointed at them. Their work is hard, dirty, and often goes unnoticed.
Imagine our community without a shelter. Imagine the number of animals cared for in the shelter each year instead of being abandoned to live on the street. The picture is not pretty and the ripple effect would be huge. The impacts on public health and safety would be immeasurable. And the impact on the welfare of these animals would be devastating.
The animal shelter is an important component of our community. The shelter does a great job of helping adopters make decisions that are in the best interest of the pet and the family. Animal care and control officers take dangerous animals off the streets to protect our safety. Through aggressive spay and neuter efforts — low cost voucher programs, in-house clinics, partnerships with community veterinarians — shelters address the root causes of overpopulation and homelessness rather than simply dealing with the aftermath.
Our local shelter must rely on fundraisers and private contributions to keep the doors open. They also rely on volunteers to help with the tremendous task of caring for these animals.
We are not pointing fingers at anyone. We feel the shelter’s Board is competent and able to take care of any deficiencies and correct any problems reported in the audit.
Theirs is not an easy job, but as volunteers we appreciate their efforts and the time they give to the shelter every day.

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