Mobile Junction

The WeCARe SW Coalition is aiming for western Colorado to be a "no-kill" region in the near future by saving one animal at a time. Photo by Richie Ann Ashcraft.

Nine local animal shelters were awarded $40,000 last week by Maddie’s Fund, the Pet Foundation. The shelters are members of the WeCARe SW Coalition, which includes facilities in Delta, Mesa, Ouray, and Montrose counties.

The ultimate goal of the coalition is to make these counties completely kill-free as soon as possible.

Maddie’s Fund is a charitable foundation that aims to make the United States a “no-kill” country by the year 2015. Maddie was the beloved miniature schnauzer cared for my Dave and Cheryl Duffield. Upon her death, the Duffields made a promise to Maddie that they would help dogs and cats be happy. According to www.maddiesfund.org., Maddie’s Fund has given $71.6 million dollars to assist shelters with “no-kill” policies.

“I think they are a fantastic organization,” said Tracy Weidmann, manager of the Grand Rivers Humane Save-A-Pet Thrift Store. Grand Rivers Humane received $10,000 from the fund.

“For us it means we will be able to rescue more dogs and cats and continue our low-cost spay and neuter program,” Weidmann said.

She explained that the demand for low-cost spay and neuter was overwhelming. “People want to do their part, but it can be expensive,” Weidmann said.

Denise Lashmett, shelter manager at Roice-Hurst Humane Society, explained that the goal of the WeCARe SW Coalition is to make the region entirely “kill-free.”

“The fact that we are all working together,” Lashmett said of the nine shelters in the coalition, “that’s really important.”

Maddie’s Fund helps the shelters work with other groups to form an alliance for the animals, Lashmett explained.

The grant money was allocated according to how many animals the shelters had transferred or adopted.

These are the shelters and amounts received from the fund: Grand Rivers Humane, $10,000; Mesa County Animal Services, $8,000; Cats League and Assistance of the Western Slope, $6,000; Roice-Hurst Humane Society, $6,000; Montrose Animal Services, $4,400; Second Chance Humane Society, $2,000; Friends of Cedaredge Animal Control, $800; City of Delta Animal Services, $800; and Delta County Animal Services, $400.