Letter: People can make a difference for their 4-footed friends - Opinion - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

 

• Boone County residents recently passed a referendum for a needed new animal shelter. It is something that most everyone in this community is in agreement with. But purchasing land, getting permits, architect fees, actual construction costs and etc. always drive the expected costs up.

  Now that the funding process has begun (bonds), before we put a shovel into the ground, let’s reconsider making this new facility one that surrounding communities will want to emulate. Let’s set the bar high without increases to our property tax bills that will come with future construction overruns and administration costs.

  We can do this by partnering with a reputable no-kill nonprofit animal shelter such as an organization like Save-A-Pet (Grayslake) or Kindness, Inc. (Elgin). With this kind of collaboration, we can offer that reputable shelter the financial means ($800,000 bond) to either build new or repurpose an already existing building, in an already approved zoning area, provided they work with our animal control services by designating a separate area within this new facility strictly for animal control purposes.

  The shared expertise of both organizations would benefit all the animals either surrendered by owners or brought into this facility by our animal control personnel. Plus, the Animal Friends of Boone County already provide this community with the volunteer base needed to sustain such a joint venture. A no-kill nonprofit animal shelter collaboration is a win-win solution for everyone.

  In this era of financial uncertainty and rising property tax bills, the residents of Boone County would have a self-sustaining facility to be proud of, where domestic animals will no longer face euthanasia simply because they have no home. Afterall, in some Rockford schools, there is already collaboration with Crusader Clinic for area human health care within the schools themselves. So we see no reason why our Boone County community can’t do something similar for our domesticated four-footed friends.

  As Cathy Ward, a Boone County board member, recently stated, “I hope more people will follow their passions with elected officials to make good things happen — one voice — signing in the darkness.” Let the Boone County board hear your voice about a no-kill nonprofit animal shelter partnership. People can make a difference.

  — The Welter family, Belvidere

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Letter: People can make a difference for their 4-footed friends - Opinion - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL