Making Progress

It’s the end of the first quarter, and time for an update on where we stand as an organization.

We continue to work on ways to tighten the budget without affecting the high quality of care we provide for the animals at SOHS. I’m very happy to report that we are successful so far this year. We have exceeded our first quarter revenue budget numbers as well as come in under budget on expenses. This doesn’t mean we’re on Easy Street, but it does mean that we have been able to keep intact the cash reserves we had at the end of 2011.

Our current reserves give us 3.5 months of operating funds. My goal by the end of the year is to have 6 months operating funds held in reserve while continuing to provide quality care for our cats and dogs. Having solid reserves is important because it allows us to operate smoothly without the dramatic ups and downs that unexpected expenses or fundraising shortfalls can cause at other non-profits.

Adoptions in January and February were up compared to 2011. In March, our kennel population was low (good news), but that also affected our overall adoption rate, so we ended the first quarter slightly below 2011 in the number of adoptions.

We have received three grants in the first quarter: $3,000 from MDU Resources Foundation (MDU is the parent company of Knife River Materials) to use for kennel repairs; $5000 from the national ASPCA for spay/neuter programs related to out beloved Saving Train rescue operations and $5,000 from the Doris Day Animal Foundation for address the medical needs of senior pets.

SOHS launched a SoHumane Monthly Partner program that teams us up with a local business that raises money, food and awareness for SOHS. In February, our partner was Jewett Elementary School in Central Point. Students chose to donate the money they would have spent on Valentine’s Day parties, candy and cards – nearly $450. CSL Plasma was our partner for March, donating nearly 500 pounds of dog, puppy and cat food; clean towels; harness and leashes; and more than $100 in cash.

If you know a business that would like to be a SoHumane partner, plese have them contact me.

March also brought the annual Southern Oregon Subaru Love-A-Pet event where SoSubaru.com gave $25 for every test drive on Saturday, March 31. We had dogs on site at Subaru for an adoption event and four found new homes that day. Subaru raised $1,000 for us. Brian McKennon provided pizza from his Little Caesars franchise.

We are continue to make improvements at our facility, including new safety mats on the walkways making it safer for humans and animals alike; and heavy duty, clear curtains surrounding our large dogs area – these replace the lighter-weight blue tarps, and do a superior job of keeping the heat in while also allowing sunshine in. This has reduced the stress levels of both animals and visitors.

We have received the preliminary plans for necessary kennel renovations, including phased costs. The next step is to work with the project planners and get bids to ensure we’re making the best use of the Feia Matching Grant money. We should have finalized plans by mid May, with construction to start as soon as we get permits from the city.

May means Toast for Tails, our important annual fundraising event on May 12. Brian and Little Caesars continues their phenomenal support as our presenting sponsor. This makes their third year. Board member and SOHS champion Dr. Tamara Abbett repeated her “Best in Show” sponsorship and Southern Oregon Subaru became the sole sponsor of our Saving Train segment of the auction – look for their logo on the back of our Saving Train bus!

Dr. Beverly Fuller and Medford Women’s Clinic chose Senior Pets for their sponsorship. Longtime supporter Marilyn Haera also took these older animals to heart. Fountain Plaza active retirement community and rounds out this elite group of sponsors in this segment

SOHS Board President Mary Hanenburg and her husband, Tom, choose Special Medical Needs for their sponsorship. They were matched by supporters Laurie and Herb Hymas, who wanted to make sure we had a reserve fund for animals of all ages whose only barrier to adoption was a treatable health issue. Board member and local veterinarian Dr. Danna Catt also contributed to this segment.

Ken Trautman and People’s Bank generously offered to sponsor the $1,000 Visa Card raffle, which will raise up to $10,000 for our general operations. Tickets are on sale at our facility at 2910 Table Rock Road for $10 each and you do not need to be at the Toast for Tails event to win (although we’d love to see you there). The tickets are also available online at toastfortails.org and on the SOHS Facebook page.

Other generous support for Toast for Tails comes from Urban Minx, PremierWest Bank, Cowhorn Winery, Dr. James and Lindsay Berryman, Jim Maddux and Dr. Steve Poet, DVM.

As always, I’d love to hear from you about your thoughts, ideas and concerns. I welcome you to come visit us at 2910 Table Rock Rd. to see not only the great care our animals receive but also see what our plans are for making improvements.