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| Last fiscal year SPAN financially assisted in spay/neutering 1811 cats and dogs! | |
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How We Work SPAN is made up of a TOTALLY VOLUNTEER group of dedicated women and men and supported entirely from donations and proceeds from our Thrift and Gift shop. We endeavor to make sure that every effort is made to raise public awareness of the pet over-population problem and the cycle of irresponsible breeding, unwanted births and subsequent deaths of companion animals. We provide financial aid, when necessary, for those who would otherwise be unable to spay or neuter their pets. We maintain a 24 hour a day hotline to answer calls involving spay or neuter. We receive an average of 200 calls a week. Our income depends on memberships, donations, and primarily the operation of the Thrift Store. WE PAY NO SALARIES and our need for volunteers is great. If you could work for just a few hours a week, on a regular basis, it would relieve pressure and enable us to be open more hours. top History SPAN (SPAY/NEUTER ANIMAL NETWORK) was started as a non-profit 501c (3) organization in 1992 by Shirley Ramgren, Dale Thacher, Elizabeth Wikle, and Dale Hanson who realized there was no way they could ever adopt out all the dogs and cats that needed homes. They understood that the only real answer was to get animals spayed and neutered so that less dogs and cats were “put down.” SPAN started out funding its activities with garage and bake sales, donations, and a membership drive. The need for a steady source of income was realized by our present President, Barbara Omholt, and in 1997, the present Thrift Shop located at 110 A&B N. Olive ST., Ventura, CA was opened. We helped Cats Cradle with their adoption program until they were able to get their own non-profit status. top About Homeless Dogs It came to our attention that there were homeless folk in Ventura County who had dogs and might be staying away from the Shelter provided for them because their dogs were not welcomed. With the help of the Board of Directors of the Ojai Valley Family Shelter, we arranged for crates for the dogs to sleep in, as well as food, blankets, and a 7-in-1 shot. SPAN volunteers agreed to be on call for the Shelter so that if a problem arose during the time a pet was there, a SPAN volunteer could be called. top THE GOOD NEWS: SPAN IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE! According to Kathy Jenks, Director of Ventura County Animal Regulation Department, " In the mid 1990's we destroyed an average 4,000 dogs and 4,500 cats each year at our facility. Last year the number of dogs killed was 2,011 and the number of cats destroyed was an all time low of 2,591. I attribute these significant reductions in animal deaths to the combined efforts of local animal welfare organizations such as SPAN and a concerted effort on the part of Animal Regulation. What to me is most significant is the large decrease in the number of animals actually coming into the shelter. This has to be a reflection of the hard work that SPAN and other like-minded groups have put forth in spaying and neutering so many dogs and cats. In the past ten years we see fewer and fewer pups and kittens, a phenomenon that must be attributed to all of the spay-neuter surgeries. As the number of Shelter animals requiring euthanasia continues to decrease, you and your volunteers, members and supporters can congratulate yourselves on a job well done. Please do not let up on your effort to spay and neuter since the animals of Ventura County are counting on you." top |
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