The Humane Society of Hobart closed to the public from August through mid-November because of an outbreak of mycoplasma, a deadly upper respiratory infection, which has had a lingering financial impact on the shelter: All visits and adoptions had to take place off-site, which dropped adoption levels by several hundred and cost the shelter approximately $40,000.
“We are in a crisis,” said Jennifer Webber, the Humane Society’s executive director. “We find ourselves at this time of year having struggles anyway, but this year in particular because of economic factors such as rising costs of veterinary care, rising number of evictions, rising costs of food. It becomes too much for people.”
“We are seeing a lot more of requests for owner surrenders,” said Webber. “People cannot keep their pets. It causes overcrowding.”
“We do everything we can to keep families together, any diversion we can make, we try our best,” said Webber. “We can help with pet food, expenses, anything. Shelters should be the last resort. It’s not a healthy environment for pets. You can make the most beautiful shelter in the world and it’s still not a home.”
Overcrowding is not only because of owner surrenders. HSH remains a no-kill shelter.
“We have area municipalities around us that don’t have animal control, and it is nothing judgmental, it is factual,” said Webber. “Each municipality does things differently. Each group has different resources. We see such an influx. Communities are expanding but the services haven’t.”
“People are turning to us, and it causes overcrowding and it causes disease outbreak,” said Webber.
“Our plan is to continue our regular multichannel approach to fundraising, but this time we are really trying to work with those municipalities that see overflow intake into our shelter and hope that they can absorb some of the costs with us,” said Webber.
HSH has approximately 200 foster families but with adoptions being down and the community feeling pressure from rising costs, the adoptions are down several hundred this year.
“There are nationwide trends that we are seeing here and with other shelters,” said Webber.
“We have been going around to area city council meetings and asking municipalities for support,” said Webber. “We have contacted our national partners like HSUS, Best Friends Animal Society as well. We have also contacted elected officials. No matter who I can talk to about this, I am trying.”
Adoptions and donations account for 80% of HSH’s operating costs. Grants, corporate sponsors and municipal money accounts for 20%. “We need to get a little more help from that 20%, then we would be OK,” said Webber.
“This is a public problem that requires a public solution,” said Webber. “This isn’t the fault of any shelter.”
“You can often tell what is going on in a community by what is going on in their shelters,” said Webber. “We are the first line of trouble in a community.”
Tracy Colza, has been volunteering at HSH for over 20 years. She is self-employed and comes to the shelter every day. “This is my healing space,” said Colza. “I am here because we have a solid, strong team of volunteers and these animals need us.”
Colza, who also works as a volunteer and foster coordinator, said that her favorite areas are those least visited.
“The main kennel is where we keep the larger dogs and it is actually my favorite place,” said Colza. “They may show as if they are aggressive because they see people and react differently, but they are actually very sweet dogs. They are just so scared. There are lots of misunderstood babies here with so much potential.”
For more information on volunteering, donating, or adopting, visit HSH’s Facebook page or visit hshobart.org.
Deena Lawley-Dixon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
