Annual budget of $753K comes up short as pens fill up, costs rise
Dog Shelter can use supplies and donations for medical needs
A full Wayne County Dog Shelter can always use items and donations to help dogs waiting for a new home.
- The Wayne County Dog Shelter increased adoption fees from $75 to $98 to offset rising operational costs and increased intake.
- The shelter, primarily funded by dog licenses and donations, operates on an annual budget of $753,370.
- Community donations help to cover medical care, spay/neuter procedures and general supplies.
- The shelter seeks donations of cleaning products, enrichment toys and other supplies to maintain daily operations.
- Beyond operational costs, the shelter faces infrastructure challenges, including needed repairs to floors, roof and plumbing.
Facing increased operational expenses and a growing influx of dogs, the Wayne County Dog Shelter is calling on the community for donations and announcing an adjustment to its adoption fees.
The shelter’s adoption fee increased this month from $75 to $98. The change helps to offset the cost of medical care each dog receives upon intake, which includes vaccinations, disease testing, microchipping and spaying or neutering.
“Most of our dogs come in as strays with no medical history,” manager Summer Foss said. “We assume they haven’t been to a vet, so we vaccinate them upon intake, test for diseases and ensure they’re microchipped.”
Annual budget supported by multiple funding streams
The shelter operates on an annual budget of about $753,370. Funding primarily comes from the sale of dog licenses and community donations.
“We’re primarily funded from the sale of dog licenses,” Dog Warden Katelyn Lehman said. “When you look at our revenues, we also get revenue from fines, impound and boarding and adoptions, but just those things alone aren’t enough to fully operate the shelter.”
To help bridge the gap, the Wayne County commissioners provide an annual general fund supplement of about $240,000. Adoption revenues bring in about $25,000 each year on average.
Of the overall budget, roughly $467,000 supports salaries for six full-time and seven part-time employees.
Donations help cover spay/neuter costs and urgent needs
Community support has been critical in recent months. In 2023, the shelter received nearly $120,000 in donations, including about $63,000 for medical care, $38,000 in general contributions, $16,000 toward spay and neuter efforts and $1,000 from adoption sponsors.
“PAWS was generous enough to donate $7,000 to get all 66 dogs here altered,” Foss said. “We’ve completed 21 so far, nine are scheduled, and 12 more still need done.”
But, new dogs arrive daily, so the need continues. Sponsoring a neuter procedure costs $100, while a spay is $130, Foss said.
The shelter has placed 87 dogs so far this year, on par with 2023.
Supply shortages include cleaning products and specialty items
The shelter also has issued a call for donations of specific items.
Foss added that enrichment toys and pill administration tools like spray cheese and pill pockets always are in demand.
“We still need soft treats, leashes, collars, especially martingale collars,” Foss said. “Bleach, laundry detergent, paper towels, probiotics, 65-gallon trash bags. We go through these constantly.”
“We try to do some sort of enrichment with every dog every day,” she said.
To support dog socialization and adoption readiness, the shelter hosts weekend events and organizes dog playgroups.
“Ten minutes of play is equal to a 30-minute leash walk,” Foss said. “Events help people see the dogs’ real personalities, not just what they’re like in a noisy kennel.”
Facility needs still present major challenges
Beyond care costs, the shelter faces infrastructure concerns.
“We’ve got floors that need replaced, a roof that needs replaced, water lines that need repair and our sewer sometimes gets backed up,” Foss said. “Our top priority is the dogs, so we do what we can with what we have.”
Lehman said the shelter makes “smart decisions” with limited resources. “We try really hard to make good choices for the dogs in our care and give them an opportunity.”
Donations can be made at waynedogshelter.org, over the phone, or in person.
“If someone says, ‘I want my donation to go specifically to this,’ that’s where it goes,” Foss said. “The least we can do is make sure their wishes are honored.”
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