Juli Huth
The Madison Oglethorpe Animal Shelter is facing potential closure as operational costs continue to rise.
MOAS officials, in a release emailed this week, state that the shelter faces mounting expenses because costs for essential medical supplies have increased by 40%.
The shelter lost $86,201 in its last fiscal year. Cash reserves have declined from $89,074 to $36,875 on June 30.
“We currently only have enough funds to continue operations for the next few months,” MOAS said in the release.
MOAS takes in between 1,500-2,000 stray and unwanted animals a year since opening in 2002. The shelter relies on donations, grants and a contract with Madison and Oglethorpe counties that covers about 30% of the operating expenses.
“At this moment, our biggest need is supply and monetary donations. Those help us out tremendously,” director Juli Huth said.
The Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners discussed a letter from MOAS at its work session on July 21, but the shelter hasn’t requested additional funding.
MOAS will host its biggest annual fundraising event — the 11th annual Bark & Wine — from 5-9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 15 at Countryside Manor in Winterville.
Attendees will have a catered dinner from Carrabba’s Italian Grill, dessert, live music and a complimentary glass of wine or beer. There will also be a live and silent auction.
“It’s a really cool mix of volunteers, fosters, staff, big donors, small donors,” Huth said. “It’s a really fun time that I know a lot of people look forward to every year.”
Funds will go toward the shelter’s spay and neuter clinic, medical processing for animals and vaccinations. Funds are also needed for basic operations, such as the power bill.
“There’s so many moving parts in the shelter that this fundraiser is going to help,” Huth said.
Tickets for the fundraising event are $60 and can be purchased on the MOAS website. Tickets on the day of the event are $70. Attendees can also view a list of auction items before the event.
“We’re always looking to have new people come and see what we’re all about,” Huth said.
Besides attending the fundraiser, MOAS encourages the community to consider other avenues of help.
This includes sharing information about the fundraising campaign, volunteering for the shelter, sponsoring the shelter on a corporate level and adopting or fostering strays.
“While increased income is essential at this critical time, we never forget that our mission is to save as many animals as possible,” the release stated.