HSOY receives $30K grant to boost animal adoption
Approximately 85 animals will be getting prepped for adoption thanks to a grant that was recently awarded to the Humane Society of Yuma.
On average, it costs the organization more than $350 per animal to feed, vaccinate and spay or neuter each animal in preparation to get them adopted, said Lana Shapiro, director of development at HSOY.
HSOY received the grant, which came in at a total of $30,000, from the Petco Foundation, which aims to support animal rescue organizations nationwide.
Shapiro said the average length of stay for animals HSOY takes in, which includes foster care, is 50.3 days for cats and 19.6 days for dogs.
Some animals, she added, are more difficult to adopt out than others.
“Adult male Pit Bulls have been difficult for us to adopt out,” Shapiro said. “We mainly attribute it to
their bad reputation and housing restrictions. Adult and senior cats are also difficult to adopt out, I think it is because of the pure volume of cats that enter the shelter and the volume of kittens that are available for adoption as competition.”
Last year, HSOY adopted out over 2,600 animals with the support of grants and donations from the Yuma community.
On average, HSOY takes in over 8,100 animals, and
in 2016 the organization saved more than 5,400 animals. Additionally that year, HSOY spayed/neutered 4,600 animals and expects to alter over 5,000 animals in 2017.
“I can’t stress enough that none of this is possible without the assistance and generosity of foundations like (the) Petco Foundation and the local community,” Shapiro said.
Independently funded by donations, grants and municipal contracts, HSOY is a nonprofit organization that is governed by a board of directors.
HSOY serves 5,500 square miles in southwest Arizona and since 1963 has evolved into an adoption and spay/neuter organization. Funding is utilized by the organization to support adoptions, clinic services, rescue partners, the foster program, and community education of animal welfare and protection.
All adopted animals are spayed or neutered, which in turn helps decrease the pet population. According to Shapiro, the average adopter pays $40, but adoption fees can range from zero to $250.
“As a nonprofit entity, our goal is to make adoption the preferred method of adding a pet to a home,” said HSOY Executive Director Annette Lagunas in a statement. “That being said, making adoptions affordable is key to saving more lives. We know that making this possible runs a financial deficit when it comes to investing in the animals’ care and treatments, which is why funding from the Petco Foundation is imperative in making a difference in our life-saving efforts.”