Rising costs are affecting everything, even your local animal shelter.
Like auto, home and health insurance, the insurance used to cover animal shelters has also skyrocketed, causing many shelters to cut back on their services.
Better Together Animal Alliance in Ponderay, Idaho, has seen a drastic jump in their insurance premium over the last few years. In 2019, insurance cost the shelter $10,500 a year. Today, it costs them $35,000.
The no-kill shelter has been forced to cut back on it’s programs, including its ‘Pets for Life’ program that offered animal welfare resources to the community.
“We’re really losing traction on our progress to try to get as many pets spayed and neutered as possible,” Mandy Evans, the Executive Director at Better Together Animal Alliance said.
Spokane Humane Society has also been hit with rising insurance costs. Two dog bite claims is a main reason they recently lost their coverage.
“We paid $2,977 a month for insurance, and now we are paying $18,537 per month,” Kim Reasoner-Morin the Executive Director said.
The shelter has also had to cut down on staff and is no longer able to bring in potentially dangerous dogs like they used to be able to.
Better Together Animal Alliance said adopting a pet is a great way to help your local shelter. You can also always donate and volunteer. The Spokane Humane Society said it is also always looking for people to foster animals.
For more information visit bettertogetheranimalalliance.org or spokanehumansociety.org.
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