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Since You Asked: Animals will benefit from donations to local, national organizations Monday Jun 5, 2017 at 12:01 AM Would I better serve animals by giving directly to an animal shelter in my area rather than to ASPCA? Are there programs to donate to that fix animals for low-income families? — Rita K., via email Rita, you’ll be serving animals whether you support a local animal shelter or a national organization, such as the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The question you have to answer is: “What do I want to accomplish with my money?” Donating to a local organization means there will be less overhead costs and more money going directly to help animals, said Ryan Johnson, the Southern Oregon Humane Society’s operations manager. A general donation to the humane society will help it in its mission to save animals from high-volume kill shelters and cover some of the costs associated with transferring dogs and cats from local municipal shelters and boarding animals surrendered by local pet owners, Johnson said. It costs $1,500 “to pull 40 to 50 dogs from high-volume shelters in Central California and bring them back to our program,” he explained Or you can choose to donate specifically to one of the organization’s programs or to cover the adoption fees for an animal. “For every dollar that is donated to our general fund, 72 cents goes directly to the animals and the other 28 cents would go to operating costs (staffing, utilities, etc.),” Johnson said. Another local nonprofit, the Committed Alliance to Strays or C.A.T.S, takes in stray and abandoned cats, tests them for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Feline Leukemia (FELV), vaccinates them, treats them, spays or neuters them and implants a microchip tracker in their neck before putting them up for adoption. On average, each cat’s care costs about $200 — more if the cat has health issues, said Sandra Fowler, the office manager. Rita, if would rather see your money go to fixing animals, SNYP (Spay/Neuter Your Pet) is a local organization that provides low-cost, spay/neuter services to rescued cats and low-income pet owners and would be grateful for your financial assistance. ASPCA spokeswoman Danielle Arnold said in an email that the national organization also supports community shelters and rescue organization nationwide through large grants. “In some of those communities, vital pet care may be inaccessible and unaffordable, requiring a heavy investment of resources and expertise that can only come from a national organization,” she said, adding that organization’s size allow it to take “a leading role in large-scale animal cruelty cases and natural disasters. “ Last year, 76 percent of ASPCA’s total operating expenses went toward life-saving programs, including pet retention programs that keep animals in their homes and leaving space in local shelters for other animals, she said. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them.