Shelter has many purposes

To the Editor: I read an article in your paper stating that the Pike County Animal Shelter is in danger of closing. As a former Board of Directors member of the Rockland County, N.Y. Animal Shelter, I find this extremely sad. The people of our county must be aware of the entity that keeps our domestic animals safe and healthy. The shelter functions to return lost animals to their homes, cares for the daily needs of the animals, including walking them, feeding, cleaning, brushing, loving them, giving them warmth and sheltering. This is a big and necessary job being done by a very few dedicated people. We, as residents of Pike County, benefit directly and indirectly as well. I’m sure you would not want to leave your home one day and find stray dogs that have become a pack or feral cats all of whom live in a wild state who may be threatening to your own animals or loved ones. The shelter helps to eliminate this possibility. The facts are that the shelter takes on the responsibility that many of us cannot. But it takes money. $9,000 from the townships of Pike County and $10,000 from the state just doesn’t cut it. Even if we paid a full time director and an assistant, $19,000 might be a nice part-time salary, but what about the necessities for the animals? We need a Board of Directors who will work on raising adequate funds to support the shelter. If our legislatures can’t afford funding this worthwhile enterprise, it is up to us, every resident of this county, to contribute as much as they can to have the Pike County Shelter function for the sake of the animals they care for. A check of five dollars or more from every family in Pike would go a long way to helping keep our shelter open. Remember the saying, “charity begins at home”, well, Pike County is our home. The shelter helps us more than you know. All of us must help to keep The Pike County Animal Shelter open, so GIVE! Mike Zweiter Milford