"SpokAnimal C.A.R.E. is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting kindness and consideration for animals through education, to reduce pet overpopulation through sterilization, and to establish programs and sheltering which meet national standards."

Q:   So where is SpokAnimal at relative to it's mission statement?

A:   The ' promotion of kindness and consideration for animals through education' is alive and well as 2002 saw an unprecedented level of high profile media exposure. Gail Mackie, the Shelter's Executive Director, and Field Services Chief Officer Mike Wilkerson, are television regulars, appearing multiple times per week on all three of the area's main television stations. Generally such appearances feature tips ranging from hot or cold weather survival, to analysis of legal presidents set in local animal welfare cases. Such appearances will always be accompanied by an eligible pet who is available for adoption at the Shelter.

'Reduction of pet overpopulation through sterilization' is a reality here and now in the Spokane area thanks to two 'voucher programs' pioneered by SpokAnimal C.A.R.E.!   The City Of Spokane Voucher Program, now in it's 8th year, makes spay/neuter vouchers available for city residents contingent upon their compliance with the city's licensing ordinance. The vouchers, worth 'dollars off' a spay or neuter, are accepted by approx. 97% of Spokane's area veterinarians. Thusly, SpokAnimal is able to provide badly needed services to a demographic who would not normally be able to afford to spay or neuter their animals. Independently operated 'catch and release' programs are also able to be more effective in our area, as their financial burdens are offset to a great degree, thanks to SpokAnimal's innovation and leadership.

But that wasn't enough! The program had an inherent limitation in that 'only city residents were eligible.' On August 14th 2001, SpokAnimal applied for and was granted monies from the DJ&T Foundation which were applied toward the initiation of an 'Area Wide Voucher Program.' This move allowed SpokAnimal to reach even more residents in the county and outlying regions by qualifying them for vouchers, while still compelling some acceptable form of license, microchip, or ID.

Year end statistics from the Shelter's main tracking data base saw an overall reduction in total animals brought to the shelter by approximately 2,000, from 1999 to 2000. Quarterly analysis for 2001 indicates that the shelter will see at least an equal reduction when stats from 2001 are compared to 2000. The implication is clear. Animal owners are becoming more educated and more responsible, and SpokAnimal's spay/neuter programs are effective!

NAVIGATION