Humane Society asking for help as it faces large operational deficit

Humane Society Hastings Prince Edward is facing significant financial challenges as it deals with an influx of animals needing shelter.

Although 2023 financials are not complete, Humane Society Board Chair Greg Sudds says they are forecasting an operational deficit of as much as $400,000.

Sudds says there’s a perfect storm of reasons why.

“What we’re seeing here now is an increased intake in animals due to, you know, economic factors that are driving that. You know, we’re basically looking at the increased number of animals arriving at the shelter. These animals are arriving sicker, therefore requiring longer stays which require more care and further increasing our costs.”

Sudds says over the last 18 months, high vet costs and the increasing cost of food means an extraordinarily high number of people have had to make the difficult decision to give up their pet.

There are other reasons for their financial issues.

Humane Society Hastings Prince Edward 2022 audited revenues.

Sudds says the Humane Society is a non-profit organization that does not receive any money from the government to operate.

“When we look at other municipalities and we look at their pound contracts and the monies they receive to take animals in from the municipality, it’s substantially greater. Conversely, when you look at our funding, how we’re funded, you know, we’re sitting at about 53 per cent of our funding comes directly from donors and you know they’re in the 20 per cent of their operations come from donations.”

Humane Society Hastings Prince Edward 2022 audited

Sudds says HSHPE has pound contracts with Quinte West, Belleville, Stirling-Rawdon, Tyendinaga and Hastings County but that in 2022, only eight per cent of their revenue came from those contracts.

“The reality is that the municipalities actually have had a benefit of having such a strong donor base for our local Humane Society. But we’re really trying to impress upon them the need, that they really need to be stepping up and doing more as other municipalities recognize and are doing for their Humane Societies.”

Sudds says they are looking at increasing those pound contracts as they renegotiate them with municipalities but that is also difficult as it places more burden on tax payers.

Another 30 per cent of their revenue comes from adoption fees.

Sudds says the setting of adoption fees is also a slippery slope. Set them too high and no one will adopt. If the fees are too low, they can’t properly cover costs like spaying and neutering and the pets could come back to the shelter as people realize they can’t afford to keep their animals.

But with an abundance of animals currently in the shelter, HSHPE officials are hoping people who do have the means to care for an animal, consider adopting a pet.

As another solution to alleviate some of their financial burden, Sudds says they’ve requested forgiveness on the loans they received from both Quinte West and the City of Belleville to build their new facility on Wallbridge-Loyalist Road but have been denied by both municipalities.

Quinte West agreed to remove interest on the loan and extend the term to 20 years and Belleville will discuss the same provision in its upcoming budget talks.

In the meantime, Sudds says they are once again reaching out to the community, which he says has always been very generous, for help.

For those interested in helping, there are four ways to make a donation – online, bank transfer, by mail or in person.

For details visit HSHPE’s website at humanesocietyhpe.ca/donate/ or call the shelter at 613-968-4673.