| In the News |
Delaware Valley News
New charity helps strays and pets
Thursday, July 10, 2008
By Kevin J. Guhl
A new charity in Kingwood Township seeks to help both pets and
pet owners by providing funds for spaying and neutering cats, as
well as vaccinations and paying medical bills for sick animals.
According to Committeewoman Elaine Niemann, resident Linda
Pfingst, a certified public accountant who specializes in setting up
non-profit organizations, "very generously offered to put
together" one to help with animal control in the township.
Ms. Pfingst said she got the idea when Kingwood and Franklin
Township's animal control officer, Traci Fleming, mentioned to
her that a man had offered to donate $500 to help with animal
control but it could not be accepted since there was no procedure
set up for taking donations.
"She said we had nowhere to put it. I said that can easily be
solved," said Ms. Pfingst. She began setting up a non-profit
organization, which was named the West Hunterdon Animal
Welfare Foundation at the Kingwood Township Committee's
suggestion. The fund will be focused on Kingwood and Franklin
Townships, and could expand in the future to cover other
municipalities in the western portion of the county.
The Hunterdon Humane Shelter used to take in strays for
Kingwood, but the shelter informed Kingwood last year that it
would stop providing that service in 2008. This came a month
after the Township Committee questioned the service being
received by the shelter and requested several documents related
to the group's finances and organization. Then-Mayor James
Burke said the township was dissatisfied with the warden services
being provided, including issues regarding dog licensing.
Since then, Kingwood has shared an animal control officer with
Franklin Township and used Mobile Veterinary Service and Clinic
of Stockton as its shelter. "Some residents have feral (cat)
populations in their barns," said Ms. Niemann. People don't
always have the funds to get all of these animals neutered or
spayed, in order to prevent a further increase in strays, and this
charity will help people get those funds. The funds will also be
used to pay shelters and vets for their services, which they often
end up paying out of their own pockets. Mobile Veterinary
Service and Clinic does a lot of pet care and surgeries pro-bono,
which isn't cheap. According to Mobile Veterinary Service and
Clinic, it costs $185 to neuter a cat and $210 to spay a cat.
read the full article at:
http://www.nj.com/delawarevalleynews/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1215
680729269990.xml&coll=12
New charity helps strays and pets
Thursday, July 10, 2008
By Kevin J. Guhl
A new charity in Kingwood Township seeks to help both pets and
pet owners by providing funds for spaying and neutering cats, as
well as vaccinations and paying medical bills for sick animals.
According to Committeewoman Elaine Niemann, resident Linda
Pfingst, a certified public accountant who specializes in setting up
non-profit organizations, "very generously offered to put
together" one to help with animal control in the township.
Ms. Pfingst said she got the idea when Kingwood and Franklin
Township's animal control officer, Traci Fleming, mentioned to
her that a man had offered to donate $500 to help with animal
control but it could not be accepted since there was no procedure
set up for taking donations.
"She said we had nowhere to put it. I said that can easily be
solved," said Ms. Pfingst. She began setting up a non-profit
organization, which was named the West Hunterdon Animal
Welfare Foundation at the Kingwood Township Committee's
suggestion. The fund will be focused on Kingwood and Franklin
Townships, and could expand in the future to cover other
municipalities in the western portion of the county.
The Hunterdon Humane Shelter used to take in strays for
Kingwood, but the shelter informed Kingwood last year that it
would stop providing that service in 2008. This came a month
after the Township Committee questioned the service being
received by the shelter and requested several documents related
to the group's finances and organization. Then-Mayor James
Burke said the township was dissatisfied with the warden services
being provided, including issues regarding dog licensing.
Since then, Kingwood has shared an animal control officer with
Franklin Township and used Mobile Veterinary Service and Clinic
of Stockton as its shelter. "Some residents have feral (cat)
populations in their barns," said Ms. Niemann. People don't
always have the funds to get all of these animals neutered or
spayed, in order to prevent a further increase in strays, and this
charity will help people get those funds. The funds will also be
used to pay shelters and vets for their services, which they often
end up paying out of their own pockets. Mobile Veterinary
Service and Clinic does a lot of pet care and surgeries pro-bono,
which isn't cheap. According to Mobile Veterinary Service and
Clinic, it costs $185 to neuter a cat and $210 to spay a cat.
read the full article at:
http://www.nj.com/delawarevalleynews/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1215
680729269990.xml&coll=12
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |