HAVA is hoping to raise $5,000 with a fundraiser by the end of the year to help needy pets.
Taking care of shelter animals and preparing them for adoption is not a cheap process. It costs HAVA $200 per cat and $300 per dog that they take in if the animals are perfectly healthy. Unfortunately many of the animals at HAVA are not at their peak healthwise and require more care. On top of the cost of daily food and litter changes for the felines, HAVA spays/neuters every rescue animal. They also ensure that they are vaccinated, flea treated and have access to medical care.
Because of these expenses the average adoption fee is $100 for a kitten or young cat (less for older cats) and $150 for dogs.
Fundraiser Organizer Mary Mizerello says, "We basically lose money on every cat and dog we adopt, and we are happy to do it."
Besides their adoption program, which finds homes for over 350 animals per year, HAVA runs an active Feral Cat Program. This involves trapping up to 150 feral cats each year by volunteers. The cats are then spayed/neutered and returned to the place where they were living. This keeps the feral cat population down.
HAVA also provides vouchers to pet owners who cannot afford to spay/neuter their animals. This reduces the cost by 75-percent to pet owners. A Pet Food Bank is also available for pet owners who need a little bit of help taking care of their animals.
The shelter receives a discounted rate from their veterinarians, but their medical cost was still more than $125,000 last year.
"Think about this as well," said Mizerello. "HAVA is completely run by volunteers. We are funded solely by donations. No money from government sources or national rescue groups. Last year we spent more than $150,000. An all volunteer non-profit group with a budget of $150,000? It's unheard of and we're proud of our group."
To help out with the funding, HAVA started a fundraiser mid-November using a program called Giving Tuesday.
Giving Tuesday takes place the Tuesday after Thanksgiving each year. It is the non-profit equivalent to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The program started five years ago and this year is the first time HAVA has participated.
The fundraiser is designed around a Giving Grid. Basically, the grid consists of 49 boxes. When someone wishes to donate they click on an empty box and complete the donation form. People who donate can upload photos of their dogs and cats to the grid. The link to the gird is located on HAVA's Facebook page.
Between the Giving Grid and offline contributions, HAVA has currently reached halfway to their donation goal with $2,500.
"Financial donations keep us alive," says Mizerello. "100-percent of the contributions people make go to the animals."
Other ways to help support HAVA is to volunteer at the shelter, Harry's House, located at 431 2nd Street in Raymond. Shelter volunteers care for the cats and choose times that are the best for them to work.
"It's a great way for people who love cats to get their cat fix," says Mizerello. "We also are always in need of washable cat beds, litter, and pet food for both dogs and cats (any brand) for our Pet Food Bank."
She continues, "We also offer great cards with a photo of a HAVA animal on the front for people who make a donation to HAVA in someone else's name. They are available at the shelter."