Animal shelter nears donation milestone

NORTH SMITHFIELD – The Friends of the North Smithfield Animal Shelter has raised more than $17,000 as part of a $25,000 challenge the organization is hoping to win to help the financially-strapped shelter pay for food, medicine and veterinary care for homeless animals.

As of today, the organization has raised $17,362 towards its goal.

“We want to thank everyone who has contributed so far. However, we still have a long way to go,” said Cindy Rondeau, president of the Friends of the North Smithfield Animal Shelter.

Several months ago, a longtime benefactor of the

Friends of the North Smithfield Animal Shelter promised to donate $25,000 to the shelter if the volunteer organization can raise that same that amount by the end

of December of this year.

The man – who wishes to remain anonymous – is a longtime supporter of the non-profit shelter and has made periodic donations over the past five years. This year, however, he issued a $25,000 challenge, hoping his generosity will inspire people to donate what they can to help the shelter.

“We were one of three charitable organizations that this gentleman issued the challenge to and we have until the end of December to meet that challenge,” Rondeau said.

The Friends of the North Smithfield Animal Shelter held a family-style spaghetti and meatball supper and fundraiser in March, one of several fundraisers the organization is planning to hold throughout the year in hopes of raising the $25,000. The group is also working with

Bryant University students on possible fundraising ideas.

Bryant has had a long history with the North Smithfield Animal Shelter located on Quaker Highway. A couple of years ago, a student helped develop a new web page for the shelter, while another group of students assisted the shelter in reaching out to the community to promote awareness of the organization’s needs.

If the shelter is able to raise its share of the challenge, the $50,000 will be used to update the heating and cooling system at the shelter; improve and enhance the outdoor dog exercise area; and help pay for spaying/neutering and other medical bills.

Every year, the not-forprofit shelter struggles to pay for food, medicine, veterinary care and spay/neuter costs, which can easily cost in excess of $10,000 a year.

The Friends of the North Smithfield Animal Shelter, an organization dedicated to animal well-being and the promotion of the human-animal bond through programs of education, advocacy and assistance.

The shelter’s volunteer program has been in existence for over 30 years. Many of the volunteers have been at the shelter for more than 25.

Volunteers provide all services at the shelter including cleaning, laundry, animal socialization, office work, greeting visitors, adoptions, returning animals to their owners, and educating owners about responsible pet ownership.

Volunteers also participate in various fundraiser activities. All money raised through fundraising and donations help pay for food, medicine and veterinary treatment for all animals in the shelter who are awaiting their forever home.

The shelter also maintains a lost and found webpage on petfinder.com;

often provides “pet of the week” photos to The Call for its weekly Time Out section, and maintains a computerized pet database and health records for each animal in its care.

To help the shelter, tax deductible donations can be sent to the Friends of the North Smithfield Animal Shelter, P. O. Box 653, Slatersville, RI 02876. Donations can also be made on the organization’s website www.friendsofnsas.com at and via the Go Fund Me campaign www.gofund.me/qnn7zukg. at

For more information on how to volunteer at the shelter, call (401) 766-0377.