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Lakeland Animal Shelter has friends in need

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Photo by Bill Olmsted

Lindsey, a resident of the Lakeland animal shelter since last spring, is healthy and ready for adoption. Lindsey was brought in in severe distress from years of abuse and needed extensive medical care.

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Photo by Bill Olmsted

Daisy, a 3 1/2 month old Beagle/Basset mix reaches between the bars of her cage to great a visitor to the Lakeland Animal Shelter near Elkhorn.

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Photo by Bill Olmsted

Tiffini Heim comforts a kitten at the Lakeland Animal Shelter outside of Elkhorn. The shelter is trying to raise $90,000 in 90 days to help with increased medical costs.

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Photo by Bill Olmsted

The Lakeland Animal Shelter sells shirts to help get money to support itself. Largely due to increased medical costs, the shelter is trying to raise $90,000 in 90 days.

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Photo by Bill Olmsted

Lakeland Animal Shelter staffer Tiffini Heim cleans cat cages. The shelter is trying to raise $90,000. in 90 days.

ELKHORN — Lindsey is the poster dog for what can happen when people donate money and supplies to their local animal shelter.

The 8-year-old Brittany spaniel-cocker spaniel mix arrived at the Lakeland Animal Shelter in March. She was neglected for years, suffering medical problems that threatened the quality of her life. She looked sad and sick.

Lindsey had a fighting spirit, and the shelter staff chose to treat her rather than euthanize her. They fed her a high-quality diet, treated her with antibiotics, soothed her with medicated baths and found her a foster home. A local veterinarian donated his services to prepare her for adoption.

“She is a living, breathing example of where the money goes to,” said Kristen Perry, shelter director.

The economy still is putting pressure on the Lakeland Animal Shelter. It is crowded with abandoned cats and dogs, and it is struggling to pay for the medications, vaccinations and surgeries needed to ready them for adoption.

“We thought the year before was the worst of it, but we’re learning this past year was much, much worse,” said Dahlstrom, fundraising director at the shelter. “It was a tough year for us.”

The shelter took in more than 2,800 cats and dogs in 2009, compared to 2,500 cats and dogs in 2008, she said. The shelter not only saw more animals, it also saw animals in rougher shape, she said.

“People are looking to cut expenses, and they have to make a decision—and teeth cleaning and vaccinations (for their pets) get bumped down the list of priorities,” Dahlstrom said. “People just can’t afford (their pets). They don’t want to give them up, but sometimes they do it for their own good.”

The shelter provides medical care for each cat and dog that comes through its doors, she said. Every animal is vaccinated, tested for disease, treated for illness and spayed or neutered. Injured animals get the surgery needed to mend their wounds, she said.

Shelter officials estimate the facility will have more than $120,000 in medical expenses in 2009, compared to $88,000 in 2008, she said.

For help, Lakeland Animal Shelter again is turning to the community.

The shelter this year is conducting a “90 in 90” fundraising drive to raise at least $90,000 in 90 days to cover the majority of medical expenses the shelter expects to incur.

A $5 donation would cover vaccinations for one cat or dog. A $50 donation would cover spay or neuter surgery for one cat or dog. A donation of $100 or more would help defray the cost of amputation for an injured cat or dog.

The fundraising drive began Friday and runs through March 31.

The shelter last year raised more than $45,000 through its “60 in 60” drive, which aimed to raise $60,000 in 60 days.

“It worked,” Dahlstrom said. “People wanted to help.”

Lakeland Animal Shelter is hoping people again will be generous in donating money and supplies. The shelter wants to put its time and energy and money into helping abandoned animals and working on its capital campaign to build a new building—a plan that got pushed back because of the economic downturn.

“If we’re able to raise $90,000, it will alleviate the worry of having to come up with so much more money, even for everyday operating expenses,” Dahlstrom said. “But we’re just one in a long line of charities that need help.”

ANIMAL SHELTER FINANCES

Lakeland Animal Shelter recently announced a “90 in 90” medical expenses fundraising drive. The shelter’s income and expenses in 2008 were:

Income

Unrestricted donations $213,285 32 percent

County funding $133,303 20 percent

Fundraising $126,638 19 percent

Adoptions/sales $99,978 15 percent

Restricted donations $66,651 10 percent

Memberships $19,995 3 percent

Expenses

Wages $301,857 46 percent

Shelter operations (including medical expenses) $216,549 33 percent

Fundraising $98,432 15 percent

Administration $39,372 6 percent