Please be aware that the outline from MS WORD did not transfer properly to this platform.
Keeping Delco updated:
The Don Guanella Petition still needs 2254
signatures and the Protect the Paws: Change
the Law Petition only needs 85 more! Thanks for helping us get signatures!
We decided that we have Zoom
meetings every third Monday of each month we will keep those going and hold
in-person meetings quarterly. I’d like
to invite you (and anyone you know who would be interested) to REGISTER
for our next Zoom meeting which will be on Monday, January 19th. Once you
register you do not need to register again, unless otherwise stated.
I’d also like to invite you
to Humane
Lobby Day in Harrisburg on Monday, May 4! The event will run from 9 AM to 3 PM
(more information to come)!
The role of Delco Loves
Animals
Delco Loves Animals will
work toward establishing a statewide spay and neuter voucher program for
Pennsylvania and will assist in facilitating the necessary steps to create an
Animal Welfare Center for Delaware County. Community involvement is imperative
and necessary.
The goal of an Animal
Welfare Center is to:
- Help reduce the stray pet
population by
- Providing intake for strays and owner surrenders
- Providing low- and no-cost spay & neuter
services to those who can’t afford it and to stray animals and animals
surrendered by their owners
A Statewide Spay &
Neuter Voucher Program
Ø Through my contact at the Humane World For Animals
(formerly known as the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Humane Society International (HSI), I have been put in contact with someone who I will be working with
to get started on a spay/neuter voucher program. I will also be contacting
State Rep Heather Boyd about the following:
o If we could get it, a state budget allocation
is ideal
o Pet food surcharge on companies selling pet
food in the state (see Summerlee Foundation)
o Income tax or vehicle registration check off
programs (these are usually easiest to pass because they're voluntary but may
not generate enough funding)o PA has a license plate program to generate
funding through the New Spay Neuter License Plate – I’ve been put in contact
with someone to work on this
Ø If you know
a State Rep, Congressman/woman or any legislators, please let us know and help
us get in touch with them.
The Former Don Guanella
Site
Ø The Petition
·
Signatures
Needed: We still need 2,259
signatures to reach the goal to move forward.
·
Press
Conference: Once we reach 5,000
signatures, we will hold a press conference.
o If anyone has suggestions for a location, please
share.
o We will need prominent voices from Delco to
speak at the event.
o We will need to contact newspapers and TV news
stations. If you or someone you know has media connections, please help us
get in touch.
·
Local
Municipality Meetings
o We will need representatives from each municipality
to present at public meetings
o We will provide a script
o The goal is to direct the municipality funds for
animal control to the Animal Welfare Center in order to centralize intake and
provide animal control services throughout Delco
§ This will provide relief to residents and animals
as there will be one remedy when someone finds a stray animal or needs to
surrender their pet
Start contacting successful 501(c)3’s who may be willing to expand (Providence Animal
Center (PAC), Brandywine Valley SPCA (BVSPCA), Forgotten Cats, PA SPCA,
Rescues/Shelters, etc.
- What About
Municipalities That Don’t Provide Animal Control?
- This will need to be carefully considered
and discussed in order to come up with a solution
- Come up with a plan that no municipality can
refuse
- Discuss with animal control companies
·
County
Council Meetings: After the press
conference, we will need large groups to attend County Council meetings
to show support.
o Regular county council public meetings are held:
§ 1st & 3rd Wednesdays each month at 6:00 PM (January – May)
§ 1:00 PM
(June – December)
§ Location: 1st Floor, Government Center Building,
201 West Front Street, Media, PA
o We will need the advice from professionals for
our presentations and for attending meetings, including:
- Lawyers
- Architects
- Structural Engineers
- Contractors
- Inspectors
- Accountants
- Any other professionals who can provide expertise in
determining if the building can work
§ We will need to find out how and when to go about obtaining inspection reports for the buildings from the county (they
§ already had these done), and any other pertinent
information we’ll need
§ If anyone knows of any professionals who would be
willing to contribute their advice pro bono, please let us know. Let them know
this is a community effort for the county and not a “for profit” business
o Convincing County Council: Once we convince the county council that the old
Don Guanella site is the perfect location for an Animal Welfare Center, then we
can
§ We will need to determine which building would be
most useful
§ We will need the proper professionals to help us
review the inspection reports
§ We will need the proper professionals and
contractors to determine the amount of repairs and renovations it will cost
just to get the building safe, repaired and up to code
·
Marple
Township
o Prepare to request zoning variance request (Marple
Township) – we will need an attorney for this
o Go to Marple Township for zoning variance. We will need a large group to attend
·
After Building
& Variance Approval
o Once the building is promised and the zoning
variance is approved, we will need to decide on the following:
§ A name for the building – A possibility is Delco
Loves Animals
§ Determine what the most important services are
§ Intake of strays and owner surrenders
§ Holding area for strays and surrenders
§ Flea/Ear Mite/Worm treatment
§ Bathing area
§ Pet Food Pantry
§ TNR
§ Transportation to clinics for spay/neuter services
for TNR and strays
§ Fosters
§ Adoption Center – This needs to be a huge focus -
The goal is to have one adoption center that can be utilized by all
rescues/shelters in the county
§ Centralized computer system where rescues and
shelters can share what their availability is for fostering
§ Receive proposals from successful 501(c)3
non-profit rescues/shelters that are willing to expand
- Form a committee to interview, review
their books/records and approve/choose the best candidate(s)
- Work on specifications and renovation
details with proper professionals and 501(c)3 non-profit(s) who will
(can be more than one)
- Required licenses will be obtained by the
501(c)3 non-profit(s)
Other things to
consider:
1.
Form a
coalition NOW between rescues, shelters, clinics, veterinarians, fosters,
colony feeders, trappers, etc. in order to form a cohesive bond between all
those involved with the effort to help reduce the stray pet population in Delco
and to bring relief to residents who are exhausted due to taking it upon
themselves to try and be part of the solution.
2.
We will need legal
and CPA advice regarding whether or not
a.
A new
non-profit will be formed that the 501(c)3’s will operate under or if they will
operate separately under their own 501(c)3
b.
The 501(c)3’s
will have ownership in the Animal Welfare Center or pay rent
c.
The Animal
Welfare Center will be a source of income for the municipalities and/or the
county to help reduce property taxes
i. Rent office space to animal-related businesses
3.
Depending on
how much space is available in the building, it may be possible to rent space
to animal-related businesses at the Animal Welfare Center
a.
Animal Control
b.
Spay/neuter
clinic
c.
Dog training
d.
Adoption Café
for cats and dogs
e.
Pet Store
f.
And others
4.
Create target
dates as we go along as it pertains to the building and the center to help stay
on track
5.
Funding – we
will need to do fundraising, find grant writers, obtain donors, hold events,
etc.
Please Note: This outline is not exhaustive. If you have any
ideas, suggestions, or feedback regarding any of the points included, we would
greatly appreciate hearing from you. Thank you!
