GAWS faces $500k budget blowout
THE Geelong Animal Welfare Society is on a rescue mission of its own as it faces a budget blackhole of nearly $500,000.
THE Geelong Animal Welfare Society is on a rescue mission of its own as it faces a budget blackhole of nearly $500,000.
The shelter’s deficit skyrocketed from $261,327 in June 2013 to $485,927 in June 2014, its latest annual report has shown.
GAWS treasurer David Willder yesterday said the Moolap animal shelter was haemorrhaging money — with losses of up to $95,000 a month — at one point in 2013 and faced closure. The current board was turning around the dire financial situation but the society was still losing about $8000 a month, Mr Willder, a director with WCM Accounting, said.
WCM Accounting compiled the GAWS 2013/2014 annual report. The detailed report was designed to lay GAWS’ financial status bare, Mr Willder said.
“There’s no hiding. It’s transparent,” he said.
The report showed donations and fundraising dropped by nearly $300,000 while administration costs at the shelter rose from $1,846,709 in 2013 to $2,208,795 in 2014.
Examination of past annual reports showed there was a staggering 141.9 per cent rise in administration costs at GAWS since the 2011-2012 financial year.
Payments to suppliers and employees rose dramatically from 2013 to 2014, jumping from $1,761,707 to $2,191,582, while payments for “property, plant and equipment” more than doubled over the same period, rising from $20,445 to $48,746. Other major cost increases from 2013 to 2014 included: ACCOUNTANCY — from $6500 to $17,448; ADVERTISING and promotion — from $12,200 to $17,713; INSURANCE — from $4957 to $25,531; LEGAL FEES — from $9598 to $68,354, and; REPAIRS and maintenance — from $41,818 to $72,307.
Costs that significantly decreased from 2013 to 2014 included vet fees and supplies, and cleaning and rubbish removal.
Mr Willder said the GAWS board had been prudent in “putting away and quarantining” $1 million for the future.
The 2014/15 annual report would present a brighter financial picture, he said.
Data showed 1223 cats were euthanised in the 2013-14 year, slightly less than the 1244 put down in 2011/12.
There was a bigger drop in the euthanasia rate of dogs, however, with 172 dogs put to sleep last financial year compared to 283 in 2011/12.
City of Greater Geelong acting community services manager, Linda Quinn, said the council had invested about $500,000 on capital upgrades at GAWS over the past five years.
About $400,000 a year was paid to GAWS for pound services, Ms Quinn said.