Letter to the editor
Animal Protection League wants equal weight

For the past 25 years, the Animal Protection League, the Midland's first no- kill animal shelter, has gone quietly about the business of providing a safe haven for many of our communities abandoned and unwanted pets. It has been a demanding endeavor since all funding has been from private donations, volunteer driven fundraisers, and a few small grants.

There has never been the inclination to be involved in our county's political decision making. We have trusted that our elected officials would develop policies that would promote not only the opportunities for business growth, but the welfare of both its citizens, its companion pets, and the environment.

Recently, there has been much discussion about the Richland County Council's proposal to partner with Project Pet, a Lexington County animal welfare group, and in doing so, to make funding available to Project Pet in an amount that exceeds $1 million. While the APL Board has no argument about the good works that Project Pet has done over the past few years, we do have concerns about Richland County taxpayer funding being appropriated to build a private extravagantly designed adoption center in Lexington County. We also feel that any funding appropriated for a spay- neuter clinic should go to the existing spay- neuter clinic located at the City of Columbia Animal Shelter complex.

Therefore, the APL Board of Directors is issuing the following statements:

It is our belief that the abandoned and unwanted companion pets in Richland County will be best served if all county funding and resources available for animal welfare in Richland County stay in Richland County and go directly into building a comfortable and environmentally friendly county- owned and controlled animal shelter and adoption center.

+ Partnering with the existing City of Columbia Animal Services and creating a city- county animal shelter complex will benefit all citizens of Richland County since the shelter would be centrally located, more economical to build and maintain, and existing programs could be easily integrated to serve both the city and the county's unwanted or lost pets.

+ Providing immediate relief for the county's lost and unwanted animals is a priority issue and the Richland County Council has an obligation to the taxpaying citizens of Richland County to channel all available resources into this initiative.

+ Richland County should appropriate adequate funding to hire and train the necessary staff.

+ Since the Humane Society Spay Neuter Clinic already exists and has been serving the Midlands for years, any county taxpayer funding appropriated for a spay- neuter clinic initiative should go to support the expansion and work of that clinic since they are experienced and have a workable program.

+ All area non- profit animal welfare organizations and breed rescue clubs should be invited to participate in partnerships with Richland County Animal Services to get pre- selected adoptable pets out of the municipal shelter environment and into loving homes.

In addition, it is our belief that giving equal weight and respect to each of these partnerships and not favoring or funding one non- profit animal welfare group over another, Richland County will see a cooperative and positive effort that will reduce pet overpopulation over time.

Animal Protection League

Board of Directors