It cost approximately $1,000 a day to keep our doors open!  As a private humane society, we do not get financial assistance from any other organization such as the Humane Society of the United States or the ASPCA.  We run on money from private donors, municpal dog control contracts, fundraising events, corporate sponsors, adoption fees, and grants.   

 

The bare minimum cost to care for one animal (cat or dog) in a shelter is approximately $10-12 per day according to the ASPCA. That only covers basic care including feeding, housing and staffing. It does not include medical attention, spay/neuter, tests or vaccines. This estimate is on the low side for our area given the tax rate and cost of living is higher than other parts of the country.  

 

Average length of stay varies from animal to animal.  It may be one week to one year. If we estimate it to be one month, that is $300 to provide basic care for just one animal. We do not euthanize animals with treatable medical conditions and we do not put a time frame on their length of stay, so $300 can turn into $3,000 very quickly. 

 

Our staff goes above and beyond to help each animal recovery from injury and illness as quickly as possible.  That often means bringing the animal home with them overnight so they can be monitored, hydrated, fed an additional meal and receive a little extra TLC. It is not uncommon for our staff to reach into their own pockets to help speed up the healing process.