Today it is part of a western Colorado coalition maneuvering to become a “no-kill” region.
Gaining “no-kill” status means an animal welfare agency will not euthanize any “adoptable” animals. Animals would only be put down if they could not be rehabilitated because of severe illness, injury or behavioral issues, said Mike Duncan, Montrose animal services supervisor.
  
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The city is one of 33 agencies across 13 continuous counties that make up Western Colorado Animal Resources (WeCARe). The group was invited last week to apply for a Maddie’s Fund start-up grant totaling $40,000 to reach the “no-kill” goal.
This money would help the agencies prepare and submit five years of data geared toward developing a 10-year goal of a being a “no-kill” region. It would take time to reach the goal across multiple counties, said Penny McCarty, director of Mesa County Animal Services.
The group has already turned in numbers from 2007. It was required to submit a pre-grant inquiry to be invited to put-in for the grant.
The counties involved are: Delta, Eagle, Garfield, Gunnison, Jackson, Mesa, Moffat, Montrose, Ouray, Pitkin, Rio Blanco, Routt and Summit. There are no such grants currently in Colorado, said McCarty.
She said the grant is estimated to affect 100,191 cats (not including feral cats) and 88,047 dogs.
“As things boom here on the Western Slope, I think that we’ll probably see the demand for more shelters and patrol agencies,” said McCarty. “In the field of animal welfare, we’re always playing catch-up. I think we’re trying to be ahead of the game.”
She said the introduction of a trap, neuter and release (TNR) program — a hot-button issue in Montrose and Delta — may or may not be part of the 10-year plan. It’s too early to know what the plan might look like because it’s tailored to the region, she said.
Regardless of whether WeCARe lands the grant, “no-kill” status is still a goal for the city of Montrose, Duncan said. It is working toward the goal by freeing up space through the transfer of dogs and cats to other shelters, such as the non-profit, no-kill animal shelter Roice-Hurst Humane Society in Clifton, Colo., and those in Denver and Boulder. “We have a volunteer transferring them to many other agencies. That really has helped get us in the right direction to be ‘no kill,’” he said.
Montrose resident Beth Jones, who volunteers her time to transport the animals, said the issue of pet overpopulation and feral populations must be met at multiple fronts.
Providing the public a low-cost spay and neuter program is key to bringing down the number of animals, Jones said. She also advocates putting in place a TNR program. Opponents of TNR have said feral cat populations put birds at risk.
City ordinances for Montrose and Delta limit the number of pets per individual within city limits; and also require animals be contained within the property of their owner or custodian. These ordinances put those who care for feral cats in a catch-22 because the people technically become the animals’ owner or custodian.
Duncan said the community can support the shelter’s “no-kill” goal by not supporting “puppy mills,” becoming more neuter-spay conscious and applying to be foster parents to shelter animals.
Foster parents help temporarily free up space at the shelter, easing pressure to euthanize animals because of overcrowding. People can apply to be parents at the shelter.
In one example, Duncan said a family took on fostering so that their young children could know what it was like to raise kittens. The situation let the kids enjoy the experience without the commitment.
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By the Numbers:
2007 regional numbers, data
from the 13 counties:
• 16,515 animals were taken in by all of the participating members of WeCARe (Western Colorado Animal Resources)
• 6,358 animals adopted
• 4,409 returned to owners
• 1,740 transfers
• 3,939 euthanasia
Estimated of people, dogs and cats affected by grant in this coalition:
• 100,191 cats, not including ferals
• 88,047 dogs
SOURCE: WeCARE
Contact Lisa Huynh via email at lisah@montrosepress.com
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