In response to Gail Beach (“Make change at Humane Society,” Letters, Herald, April 5):
The primary focus and mission of the La Plata county Humane Society has been – and always will be – to provide the best possible services and care for homeless animals and their welfare. The thrift store plays a vital and critical role in our organization and is responsible for covering the majority of the shelter’s expenses to accomplish our mission.
Contrary to misconception in our marketplace, we do not receive county, city or government funding. We take great pride that LPCHS is the regional hub for the Four Corners and takes in over 3,000 animals per year, with a live-release rate of 96 percent, which is among the highest in the nation for open-admissions shelters.
The new management at the thrift store has dramatically increased efficiency, increased revenues and substantially decreased expenses – all incredibly positive attributes for any management team and also helps us to provide even more resources for the animals in our care. The tremendous improvement in efficiency means all donations to LPCHS reach the floor for sale in the shortest time possible. We are especially grateful for the outstanding team of volunteers who were willing to be retrained and have accepted assignments fitting the greatest needs of the organization.
Welcoming more and more animals into our extraordinary care requires ever improving operations changes – and we will continue to do so in the spirit of better serving our mission and the animals.
We welcome the opportunity to share with all of our members and the community the facts, the plans and excitement surrounding our growth and progress. I encourage members to attend the annual meeting of LPC Humane Society being held at 10 a.m. May 9 to hear about the amazing work, progress and accomplishments that has gone on throughout the year by our dedicated management, staff, volunteers and supporters, all while keeping our most important focus in mind: the animals.
Sue Spielman, President, board of directors, LPC Humane Society
Durango
