- April 23, 2024
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The following email was sent to the Observer by a volunteer at the Flagler Humane Society, Tony Milidantri:
This past weekend, several of the Pet Smart volunteers helped to clean and feed cats at the Flagler Humane Society (FHS) while their normal volunteers worked at a mega adoption event in Jacksonville, which managed to adopt out approximately 23 cats and a few dogs.
What we found at the FHS is that paid employees and volunteers are working in a building that has serious air conditioning problems which are very expensive to fix. Part of the AC is working but many areas at FHS had no AC and relied solely on fans to keep the workers and the animals as comfortable as possible. In addition, there was no kitten food (with dozens of kittens) and no paper towels to clean cages which means they have to use rags/cloths which then need to be washed and dried which creates more heat in the building.
Paid employees and volunteers at FHS are a dedicated bunch of people who receive no funding from the city or county other than when Animal Control brings in strays, therefore, they rely on donations and grants to keep the doors open. Don't think that adoption fees are anywhere near enough income considering that adopted animals are microchipped, spayed/neutered, fed and vaccinated before going out the door so the $50 or less adoption fee does not begin to cover the costs.
The Flagler Humane Society is in desperate need of volunteers to help with grant writing. There are grants that the FHS could qualify for if a few persons are willing to assist the current director in filling out and writing grant applications. If you or anyone you know is interested in helping this worthwhile cause, please forward this to them and ask that they contact Amy Carotenuto at 445-1814.
