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Facebook Group Message (August 27th, 2008):
Central Missouri Humane Society faces closure
Fellow animal activists,
As many of you already know, CMHS is in financial crisis. You can read more about it on the Columbia Daily Tribune discussion board here:
http://board.columbiatribu
I posted a response (#41) with some clarifications about the situation, and some ideas as well.
I think it goes without saying that CMHS plays a necessary role in animal welfare in Mid-Missouri and that we, as animal activists and citizens of our communities, need to step up to the plate, develop, and institute a *long*-term solution.
We are working on a plan, but it simply doesn't look good. CMHS is overwhelmed and has been for a long time. The small, unsteady drip of private donations from individual donors is frankly not enough to cover CMHS operating expenses, let alone provide for further fundraising efforts.
It is my opinion that the solution lies in large-scale fundraising (in the short-term) and political effort (over the medium-term).
CMHS is a private, not-for-profit organization, not a city or county utility. It is not funded directly by tax dollars from Columbia or from Boone County. I think this is where we need to focus our efforts for change.
A companion animal adoption & education shelter, like CMHS, which provides low-cost spay & neuter services to low-income pet owners, lost & found services, on-site pet visitation for the elderly in nursing & retirement homes and hospitals, emergency euthanasia services for sick/injured animals and community population control, 24-hour animal rescue for injured strays, and humane animal education for people, among many other services - not only Animal Control - is a necessary service to our communities, not unlike fire, police, parks & recreation, support for the arts, parking garages, and any number of other tax-funded activities.
If CMHS closes, we will see an enormous increase in the number of stray animals in Columbia & Boone County, and the other 20+ Mid-Missouri counties served by this shelter. These animals will starve, freeze, be mauled by other animals, be hit by cars, or otherwise die by terribly inhumane methods.
Worse yet, without spaying/neutering services & euthanasia for population control, we will have exponential, uncontrolled breeding, compounding the problem very quickly.
It is imperative that we address this crisis NOW. Please donate to the Central Missouri Humane Society by calling (573) 443-3893 or visiting the shelter in Columbia, MO at 616 Big Bear Boulevard. Larger scale fundraising efforts are forthcoming.
If you would like to be more actively involved, please email me directly at dave@sombfaf.org or reply to this message.
I know we can save CMHS. Please join me in fighting for it.
Best regards,
Dave Muscato
dave@sombfaf.org or mail@davemuscato.com
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Happy Halloween, everyone!
We want to encourage you to keep yourblack cats indoors tonight... it is extremely rare, but pranksters andsome less-than-moral people have been known to do some pretty gruesomethings to black cats on this day, and it doesn't hurt to be careful.
Wealso want to encourage you to think about the homeless animals inColumbia and your own towns tonight. It's starting to get colderoutside, and after you are all partied out and ready to go home, youhave a warm place to sleep, but not all animals do.
Fortunatelyfor us, we have taken government steps to ensure that homeless humanshave access to a warm place to sleep when the weather turns bad... butunfortunately, this is not the case for our animal friends.
Remember,the Central Missouri Humane Society receives NO tax dollars and relieson YOUR donations to pay for the homeless animal shelter, and everydonation, big or small, helps.
So when you're out having funtonight (maybe even dressed as a cat!) think of your animal friends,and have a great time. Be safe and have fun!
- Dave Muscato
Founder, SOMBFAF.org
and everyone at Some Of My Best Friends Are Furry
P.S.If you have pictures of you & your friends dresses as animals, orpictures of your animals in costume, or even just photos of you withyour pets, please feel free to post them to the SOMBFAF Facebook group!
Happy Halloween!
October 25, 2007 - SOMBFAF founding member Dave Muscato wrote to the editor of the Columbia Daily Tribune in response to a letter from Laura Hutton.
| Hutton's letter: Animals are far too low of a priority for officials Editor, the Tribune: It’s atrocious the lack of priority Columbia and Boone County have in terms of caring for their animal populations. The Central Missouri Humane Society is operating at more than maximum capacity and has been for many years. Its staff is overworked and undoubtedly underpaid. It’s the animals that truly suffer, though, as there is absolutely no more space to house additional animals. This problem was solidified by the Humane Society’s recent decision to start collecting a fee when people drop off animals. Obviously, Mid-Missouri will now see an increase in animals dropped off in the country. Clearly, the animal overpopulation problem will not go away on its own. City and county residents should demand a new facility be built immediately. Laura Hutton 15 Lucerne Court http://archive.columbiatribune.com/2007/oct/20071021comm006.asp Published Sunday, October 21, 2007 |
| Muscato's response: Editor, the Tribune: I'm writing in response to Laura Hutton's call for Columbia and Boone County voters to demand a larger facility for the overwhelmed Central Missouri Humane Society. She's correct that our animal overpopulation crisis is in need of a drastic solution, but her letter reflects a common misunderstanding: that CMHS is funded by tax revenue. CMHS is a private, not-for-profit, donation-funded organization--not a city or county utility--and it receives no funding from Columbia, Boone County, or other taxes. (CMHS is often confused with Animal Control, a city utility that captures dangerous animals and confiscates neglected and abused animals, which are then turned over to CMHS.) CMHS serves 22 counties and took in nearly 9,000 animals last year (dozens per day), with projections indicating even more this year. Recently, CMHS has had to resort to charging intake fees and to housing multiple animals in single-animal cages--both measures it has delayed as long as possible. CMHS's services include sheltering stray and unwanted animals, matching sheltered pets with new owners, and spaying and neutering (with discounts for low-income owners). Unless we are willing to donate the necessary funds, an adequate facility will not be possible. For more information on supporting the Central Missouri Humane Society, visit the SOMBFAF web site at www.sombfaf.org. Dave Muscato Founder, Some Of My Best Friends Are Furry www.sombfaf.org |
September 18, 2007 - Are you a web designer? Do you want to make a difference in your community by working with a local charitable organization and supporting animals while building your portfolio?
SOMBFAF is searching for a web designer. If you are interested in learning more (or know someone who might be), please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.