Thank you to Meow Village for their thoughtful and detailed explanation of the Oregon Department of Agriculture's proposed fee increases impacting animal rescue groups (including House of Dreams), and for giving us permission to share their post.
Please consider reaching out to the Oregon Department of Agriculture and asking them to reassess these new fees.
The kitties at House of Dreams thank you!
URGENT ACTION NEEDED! Meow Village supporters, your voice is crucial to protect thousands of animals in Oregon. The Oregon Department of Agriculture is proposing fee increases for Animal Rescue Entities (AREs), putting greater strain on all rescues like Meow Village. Take immediate action by sending an email voicing your opposition to these proposed fees, sharing this post, spreading the word, and attending the meeting on this topic which is linked at the bottom of this post.
For the last three years, this fee has been $375 per year. The new proposed fee is $220 for foster based rescues, like Meow Village, and $300 for shelters. Additionally, there is a fee added for the number of animals we intake. Going forward, intake of 201-500 cats would result in an additional $1,200 fee while intake of more than 500 cats (including Meow Village) would result in a $2,200 fee.
Meow Village, and the animal rescue community broadly, are banding together to send a message to Salem to slash these onerous fees. With animals being increasingly abandoned, and shelters across the state operating at maximum capacity, these additional fees take more money away from resource-strapped organizations to help animals in need. This impacts not just us, but countless small rescues, risking closures and limiting resources for animal care.
We would like your help, and have prepared an email draft that you can send to the Oregon Department of Agriculture (animalrescue@oda.oregon.gov):
"To whom it may concern,
I am extremely disappointed to learn of the recent proposed rate increases for Oregon animal shelters and rescues and am asking that you reconsider these rate increases. Animals are being abandoned in droves across the state and most rescues are already operating at maximum capacity.
These organizations are financially handicapped by the increasingly expensive cost of animal care as the number of cases of injured and wounded animals rises to new heights. These fee increases take away resources from resource-strapped organizations, and in turn take away critical care for the most vulnerable animals in our state.
These non-profit organizations also serve on the front line of protecting Oregon’s
ecosystem. Animal fosters and rescuers are waging an important fight to curb the
overpopulation of Oregon’s cat populations. Without these organizations our streets, parks, forests, and farms would be overrun with stray cats. These fee increases hurt the very resource-strapped organizations that the state should intend to be championing and partnering with in order to maintain a strong ecosystem.
I am adding my voice to the growing chorus of organizations and volunteers across the state who do not want to see our animal rescue community get penalized for the great work we have done with the few resources we have. Again, I ask that you please forgo this rate increase.
Thank you for your consideration of this matter."
If you want to go the extra mile to help local rescues, mark February 27th at 9:00 AM PST on your calendar now. Use one hour of your life to be a voice for the voiceless and make your opinion made at the Department of Agriculture’s virtual comment section. We don’t think our donations should be used to fund the State of Oregon when we are providing such an incredibly vital asset to the community.
DATE: 02/27/2024
TIME: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
REMOTE MEETING DETAILS
MEETING URL: https://oda.fyi/AREPublicCommentHearing
PHONE NUMBER: 503-446-4951
CONFERENCE ID: 981149335
Passcode: xpA4EE
Act now to safeguard Oregon's animal safety net!