FRIENDS OF THE ANIMAL SHELTER OF ST JOSEPH INC

FRIENDS OF THE ANIMAL SHELTER OF ST JOSEPH INC (FOTAS) HAS A MAIN MISSION OF ASSISTING THE ST JOSEPH ANIMAL SHELTER IN SUPPLYING MEDICAL CARE TO THOSE ANIMALS IN NEED AS WELL AS IMPROVING THE ADOPTION RATE OF THOSE ANIMALS, WHICH AFTER ANALYSIS, ARE DETERMINED TO BE ADOPTABLE. OUR OVERALL GOAL BEING THAT THE ST JOSEPH ANIMAL SHELTER CAN SUCCESSFULLY BE CONSIDERED A NO KILL (90% SAVE RATE) SHELTER WITH OUR HELP. WITH FOTAS HARD WORK AND OUR COLLABORATIVE WORK WITH THE SHELTER, THEY HAVE REACHED THAT GOAL WITH DOGS FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND KEPT INCHING CLOSER TO REACH THE GOAL WITH CATS. HOWEVER, THE RATE DICTATING THIS NO KILL STATUS CAN BE SIGNIFICANTLY DISRUPTED DEPENDING ON THE ECONOMY WHICH CAN DICTATE THE NUMBER OF STRAYS, RELINQUISHMENTS, AND THE DISCOVERY OF HOARDING SHUTDOWNS. AGAIN, THROUGH THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE SHELTER AND FOTAS, THE 2023 SAVE RATE FOR CATS INCREASED FROM 6% WHILE THE DOG SAVE RATE DECREASED 5% DUE TO THE ABOVE DISCOVERIES IN THE HOARDING SHUTDOWNS. THIS GAVE THE SHELTER AN OVERALL 89% NO KILL PERCENTAGE, JUST SHORT 1% OF THE OVERALL NO KILL STATUS FOR ANIMALS.OBVIOUSLY MEDICAL CARE HAS TO BE SUPPLIED, OTHER THAN SPAY/NEUTER SERVICES, TO ALL THE ANIMALS BROUGHT TO THE SHELTER REGARDLESS OF ADOPTABILITY AND OUR COSTS FOR THAT CARE TOTALED $67,587 WITH INCORPORATES THE DISCOUNTS OUR LOCAL VETERINARIANS CHARGE US FOR THOSE SERVICES. WE CONTINUE TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC THROUGH SIGNAGE, WEEKLY TV PET PREVIEWS, AND OUR OWN PET PREVIEWS ON THE NEED TO SPAY AND NEUTER. WE ARE IN THE BEGINNING STAGES OF SPONSORING A REDUCED COST OF A SPAY/NEUTER PROGRAM WHICH IS A KEY TO THE ONGOING INFLUX OF ANIMALS INTO THE SHELTER WHICH CANNOT BE HOUSED WITHOUT OUR HELP WITH ADOPTION SPECIALS.WE HAVE GROWN TREMENDOUSLY OVER THE YEARS AND WITHOUT OUR SUPPORT, THE ST JOSEPH ANIMAL SHELTER WOULD NOT BE WHERE IT IS TODAY. UNFORTUNATLY, THE CITY OF ST JOSEPH IS UNABLE TO FUND THE ANIMAL SHELTER COMPLETELY AND THAT IS WHERE FOTAS ASSISTS.