'It is disheartening,' St. John's SPCA says of city's funding cut

The SPCAwill have to make dowith less money from the City of St. John's.

• St.John'sSPCAworried about potential funding cuts

Councilvoted Monday night to reduce funding for the local branch of theSPCAfrom $10,000 to $3,300.

SimoneBrowne, chairpersonwith the SPCA, sayswhile grants make up a small part of the group'sbudget, thiscut will still hurt.

While we absolutely appreciate every dollar that we get from the city, it is disheartening.- Simone Browne

"While we absolutely appreciate every dollar that we get from the city, it is disheartening."

The city's financecommittee said with thecity already having a humane services department,theSPCAis a duplication of services.

ButBrowne said that's not the case.

"We work very closely with humane services but we also work very hard to make sure we don't duplicate, no one wants to be wasting a dollar, we all have limited funding,"said Browne.

More discussions are needed with the city, she said, to make sure everyone involved is aware of the SPCA'smandate.

'Every dollar does in fact matter'

While humane services takes in stray animals from within the city limits, Browne said theSPCAcovers the entire Avalon region.

Theyalso takein animals that owners give up, as well as helping out humane services when it'sat capacity, she added.

Browne said around 1,000 animals come through the localSPCAper year, with 17 per cent of thosecomingfrom the city's humane services department.

The SPCA spays andneuters all adopted animals in their care and gives them full veterinary assessments.

We spend efficiently, so every dollar does in fact matter to us and ourmoney goes to vet care.- Simone Browne

Browne said the organization was gettingapproximately $60 dollars per animal for those needs, but this cut will leave them witharound $20 dollars per animal to provide the necessary care.

"Like most charities out there we spend carefully, we spend deliberately and we spend efficiently, so every dollar does in fact matter to us and ourmoney goes to vet care," she said.

Meanwhile,Browne hopes donations from the public will cover the shortfall in the city grant.

"If it doesn't come from a provincial or municipal grant, and only threeper cent of our revenue does, it has to go back to the community, to the individuals and the business communityto fill that gap."