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I'm so incredibly sad. MVHS is closing
I just got an email informing all volunteers that the Minnesota Valley Humane Society is closing as of Dec. 31. From the email:
After nearly three decades of service to animals and families in the south metro, the Minnesota Valley Humane Society (MVHS) announced today that it is closing its doors. Chair Cathy McCoy announced that the non-profit organization will cease operations by December 31st of this year.
"It is with tremendous sadness that the Board of Directors has made this difficult decision," said McCoy. "Like so many of our sister shelters throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin, the challenging economy has left us with fewer donors, a greater demand for animal care and protection, and increasing requests for humane education programs and services. All of those factors have stretched our resources to the breaking point. While we've done our best to do more with less, it is only the heroic efforts of our dedicated staff and volunteers that have kept us going for this long."
I don't even know what to say. I'm so sad. I'm sure there are plenty of non-profits that have closed down due to rising expenses and declining donations, but this one just breaks my heart because I'm a volunteer there and I know just how many pets they've saved and how many more need saving.
ETA: If anyone has been considering adopting a pet, these dogs and cats really need homes now!
Mr. Sammy Dog
Re: I'm so incredibly sad. MVHS is closing
Oh no, that is so sad!
I thought they were raising money to open a new facility and now this.
- Martin Luther King Jr.
Oh no!!!! This makes me so sad. I've adopted 2 kitties from them. Now is not the time to be losing an animal organization.
ETA: What is going to happen to the animals currently there?
They were raising money for a new facility. They were trying to raise $600,000 by Sept. 30 in order to purchase the new building. They didn't make it, but got a 45-day extension, which they also missed. I knew they discontinued their capital campaign, but had no idea this was coming.
My co-workers think I'm crazy because I'm crying about an animal shelter.
Mr. Sammy Dog
It looks like they will place any animals not adopted by the end of the month with other shelters. Here's what it said in the email I got:
Employees were notified of the closure in a meeting Wednesday morning and volunteers and supporters were notified via email today. Working with Executive Director Lynae Gieseke, McCoy and the board laid out a transition timeline that calls for day to day operations to discontinue by the end of the year. The shelter will continue to accept animals until December 12, and will make those animals available for adoption through December 31. Some of the employees will stay through the end of December to assist with the transition, and will work with other shelters throughout the metro area to place animals that have not been adopted by December 31.
Mr. Sammy Dog
I was wondering the same thing. The email I got said they were accepting animals until Dec 12 for adoption until Dec 31. It didn't say where they would go after that.
- Martin Luther King Jr.
Ok clearly I can't read.
- Martin Luther King Jr.
Just in time for the rush of animals that will get dumped after people realize it probably wasn't a good idea to run out and buy Junior a puppy for Christmas without thinking hard about it.
OMG I am really really sad. We adopted our kitty from there, and we LOVED the experience and I told DH and I would only adopt from there on out.
That is so sad
I saw a story in the news not to long ago about a shelter in WI that had to close too.
What makes me even more sad is that MVHS is the impound facility for the city of Eagan. Impounded pets in Eagan that were not claimed would be put up for adoption. Since MVHS did not euthanize animals that were safe enough and healthy enough to adopt, all those impounded pets got to stay at the shelter until they got adopted. That's not the case in many cities.
For example, in Rosemount where I live, a vet office in town is the impound facility. They are required to hold the animals for a minimum amount of time in case the owners want to claim them, but after the hold period, the impound facility can choose to euthanize if they can't find a rescue group to take the pet. I don't even want to think about how many pets are PTS at impound facilities like that.
I wonder where impound animals in Eagan will go now ...
Mr. Sammy Dog
I can't let myself think about that too long or I'll have an emotional breakdown.
I really really wish we had the resources for more than 2 dogs.
is it Shamrock? that's where all our animals go.
Mr. Sammy Dog
Yes.
I've never been there, so I can't say anything bad about the animal care they provide to clients. It's just that a vet office is not in the business of running an animal shelter, so if there are impound pets that don't get claimed, they are not going to deal with adopting out pets. I know that sometimes Last Hope takes pets from there, and sometimes Animal Ark does. But I'm sure some get PTS too.
Mr. Sammy Dog
This is awful news. It breaks my heart.
Oh, such sad news... that's really unfortunate... especially since they made it THIS far through this awful recession, and if they could just hold out a bit longer....
I'm just saying this because I'm cranky, but if the church felt like being churchy and goodwilly, they'd give the building back or offer to let MVHS buy it back from them.
We adopted Truffle from MVHS last spring and were hoping to adopt a brother for him down the road from there.
Also ... why was this not mentioned in their fundraising campaign? It would make a huge difference if they told people they *needed* a new home because they were required to leave their current one because it had been sold. Me, along with probably a lot of other people, thought that the new building was a great idea but not a necessity to stay open. If people knew it was a choice between a new building and closing completely, people may have opened their wallets.
Ugh. Now I'm mad.
Mr. Sammy Dog
It was very poor planning. They weren't imforming their employees about anything. They had staff meetings and would just tell them the future was uncertain. I also read that they needed $1 million to purchase the building, but another million to renovate the facility. So even if they got the buliding they still wouldn't be able to turn it into a functional facility.
It is a very sad situation and with this and the big Humane Society's surrender policy changes I worry about how much the rescue animals are going to suffer.
my read shelf: