Animal Shelter Was Supposed to be Self-Supporting
The Antioch Animal Shelter was established in 1978 when voters approved the following ballot measure: “The city of Antioch shall re-establish, maintain and operate a City Pound and Animal Shelter. Funds therefore shall be appropriated by the City Council annually. The City Pound and Animal Shelter shall be self-supporting to the extent that the fees for dog licenses and charges made for animal care shall be paid or credited to its operating budget. Such fees and other income shall no longer be part of the General Fund of Antioch.”
In January 2008, when the shelter subsidy was approximately only 1% of the General Fund budget, the city spent $50,000 for a consultant to prepare a study in regard to turning the Antioch Animal Shelter operation over to a nonprofit corporation. That never happened, and the shelter has continued to meet residents’ needs although its hours of operation have been cut and it remains underfunded and understaffed.
Although a lot of us love our pets (note the photo of my boxer Hootch), many residents don’t license their dogs or neuter their pets, which leads to the shelter’s high euthanization rates.
We all should give a warm welcome to the new animal rescue group in Antioch, Delta Animals Safe Haven (DASH). According to their website http://deltaanimalssafehaven.org, it was established to provide an additional and alternative co-operative adoption center for homeless animals in the Sacramento River Delta Area, thereby reducing overcrowding in the only animal shelter in East Contra Costa, the Antioch Animal Shelter.
Delta Animals Safe Haven, which received its tax exempt status from the IRS in June, had a booth at the annual Ramble hosted by HALO (Homeless Animals Lifeline Organization). and is hosting a meet and greet at 4 p.m. on August 20th. Call 925-219-0150 or email info@deltaanimals.org to receive address and directions info.
Gee, I wonder is the organizers of DASH know that Antioch is on the San Joaquin River, not the Sacramento River?
If their efforts further reduce the city’s General Fund support for the Animal Shelter, they will be a very welcome addition to bringing the shelter back to what the voters approved in 1978.