10,000 Paws and Whiskers
Over the years, we have taken in several medical cases and still struggle to pay off outstanding medical expenses. Some of these medical cases include another double amputee (which resulted in a specially made wheelchair for our boy Bonito); leg pinning procedures; spinal injury surgeries, treatment for heart, liver and kidney issues; countless parvo cases; several “hit by car” cases; extreme abuse/neglect cases — the list goes on and on.
Regardless of what the medical case is or the severity of it, all animals that come into our care that have any medical condition that needs tending to is addressed accordingly.
Many people believe that we euthanize animals for health reasons, but the only time an animal in our care with medical needs is euthanized is when a licensed veterinarian says that euthanasia is what is best for the animal. Although it pains us to have to make that decision, when an animal is in pain or suffering, or the quality of life would be poor even after treatment, it is in the best interest of the animal that euthanasia is an option.
There are also costs associated with preventatives, which aid in maintaining and preserving the health of the animals. These preventatives consist of vaccinations, de-wormers, and flea and tick deterrents.
Animals also like to eat a lot, and what goes in must come out. On average, we spend about $800 a week on food and cleaning supplies alone.
The Humane Society of Imperial County functions just like any other business and we have to follow all the same set of rules. With electric bills, workman’s compensation insurance, liability insurance and payroll, it costs about $30,000 a month to keep our doors open and the organization running smoothly.
Aside from normal day-to-day operating costs, we often send hundreds of cats and dogs to our no-kill rescue group partners outside of the Imperial Valley. The purpose of this is to help these animals find adoptive homes when they have been at our shelter for far too long and cannot find a home within our own community.
We also drive to veterinarians in Joshua tree and Mexicali for low-cost spaying and neutering of shelter animals and the community’s personal pets.
We believe that it is important to establish relationships with other community members and businesses outside of the Imperial Valley. We frequently attend community functions and adoption events in the San Diego, Los Angeles and Palm Springs areas. As you can imagine, all that driving, vehicle maintenance and fuel costs add up quickly!
Many people believe that the Humane Society of Imperial County is a government-funded agency or that we are part of an “umbrella corporation”. Both of assumptions are false. The Humane Society of Imperial County is a private, non-profit organization that solely operates on the generous contributions of our community members. We do not receive any supplemental funding from the city, county, State, ASPCA or the Humane Society of the United States.
Donations made to HSUS do not eventually trickle down to us, nor is any of that funding dispersed to any other Humane Society in the country.
Whichever aspect of our operation you find most important and would like to help with, for only $0.33 a day you could make a huge impact in the lives of hundreds of orphaned animals within the Imperial Valley. Just in case you are wondering, yes, all donations made to the Humane Society of Imperial County are tax-deductible, and stay here locally.
By signing up through our 10,000 Paws & Whiskers monthly giving program today, your support will help to ensure that our organization continues to grow and that we can accomplish bigger and better things each and every day for the homeless pets of the Imperial Valley.
To sign up, please email us at hello@imperialcountyhumane.org and we will email the forms to you. If you do not have an email address, please call us at (760) 352-1911 and let us know your physical address (or P.O. box) and we will be happy to send a form your way.
As our special thanks to you, we will send you a complimentary tote with our logo and a picture of an orphaned pet in our care that your life saving donation has helped. When you email or call, please specify which color tote you would like. The colors to choose from are red, black, blue, and green.
Once your forms have been received by us and you have specified that you would like to donate at least $10 each month, we will send your tote and picture to you.
We thank you in advance for helping us help the homeless fur-kids of our community, and for establishing an essential role in the business of saving lives