North Little Rock has proposed financial help to complete improvements that will make the city's animal shelter more comfortable for its staff and animals.
A resolution that goes before the North Little Rock City Council today will ask the city to provide $30,000 from the general fund to complete the fundraising campaign by the North Little Rock Friends of Animals, the shelter's nonprofit fundraising arm. Mayor Joe Smith is sponsoring the legislation.
The city funds would add to the $32,543 that Friends of Animals had raised as of Thursday, more than reaching the nonprofit's goal of $50,000 to air-condition the shelter, improve lighting and buy new cages for animals waiting to be adopted.
"It should give us a little cushion because things always come in costing a little more than you really think," said Marsha Mosenthin, the group's special-events chairman who has led the campaign this year.
The primary need for the 53-year-old shelter, located in Burns Park, has been air conditioning -- an estimated $12,000 cost. Installation of the air conditioners started last week.
New skylights, which allow more natural light in and brighten the adoption area, have already been installed.
"The skylights are in, and they really do make a difference," Mosenthin said. "What will be wonderful are the cages that are going to make it so much nicer. That will help it be a much more positive environment, and people who come in to adopt will have that area as a starting point."
Kennels in the past didn't advocate using air conditioning because of concerns about airborne diseases being spread among animals, according to city Animal Services Director Billy Grace. In recent years, air conditioning has been accepted as a vital need for the comfort of the animals and for the workers.
"It's for the people and the animals," Grace said. "We need some cool air blowing back there."
The shelter has been making improvements over the past five years as extra city funds have become available. The city's budget for the animal shelter is $751,206, up $32,458 from last year. With extra funds available halfway through the 2015 budget cycle, Smith wanted to get the improvements finished, city spokesman Nathan Hamilton said.
"This past six months or so, the Friends of Animals has been fantastic with doing some fundraising," Hamilton said. "We just didn't want to pass on that chance to do this. We found the money and made sure it happened.
"We think it's money well spent," Hamilton added. "It just makes a lot of sense to make it happen."
Grace said that going beyond the original fundraising goal would allow other needs to be met once the projects are completed.
"We're got plenty of things to use it on," Grace said. "We've been renovating this place for five years. It's an ongoing project."
Mosenthin credited volunteers and the community for stepping up to help once the campaign got into full swing and the shelter's needs were known.
"The community has gotten behind it," Mosenthin said. "I'm excited as all get-out about it."
Friends of Animals raises funds for the shelter through events such as dog washes, yard sales and chili suppers to pay for the shelter's rescue program, spay-and-neuter program and other needs. Recently, supporters Susan and Gary Flake created "Who Rescued Who" window stickers that can be purchased with a small donation for the shelter's programs.
Adding the city's money to the shelter's fundraising total would help it get the other programs going again, Mosenthin said.
"There is still lots that needs to be done," Mosenthin said. "The FOA needs to get back to raising money for the programs that are sitting on hold. The spay-and-neuter programs and adoption events, that's all been kind of tabled for this one."
Metro on 07/13/2015