CASA
Savings should be used for welfare of the animals
Dear Editor:
In February, I resigned from a newly elected position on the CASA Board of Directors, along with four others, three of whom were also new democratically elected board members.
One member, unhappy not to be elected as the new president, contacted friends and neighbors that the present board did not elect her to the position she felt she deserved. Subsequently, hearing one side of the issue, these people started sending “hate mail” to five of the newly elected officers as well as to many of the CASA membership. The rude, spiteful, and misinformed “hate mail” continued for over a month. This was undeserved, hurtful and disruptive to all of us and our families.
Everyone of the resigned board members were committed volunteers at CASA and care deeply for the animals that come through the doors in need of refuge. Unable to proceed with the business of getting things done for CASA, five board members resigned.
There has been so much misinformation directed at the CASA membership, I feel that the side of the resigned board members needs to be known.
There is over $90,000 in CDs from generous donations from the community and fundraising projects by committed volunteers. This money is in addition to the standard amount of money in the operating budget.
There is little or no heat in the dog kennel. In winter, the dogs are farmed out to volunteers or just kept in the kennels, which are in desperate need of insulation. These kennels are also hot in the summer. Last year, one of our volunteers donated an air conditioner and another volunteer drove up to Anacortes to pick up a donated air conditioner. Those two volunteers were two of the resigning board members.
The shelter needs to be replaced so all of the animals are comfortable and safe. At the least, some of the money in the CDs needs to be designated for improvements to the shelter in a reasonable period of time. The animals and staff at CASA should not suffer while donated money is sitting in a CD at 1 percent interest.
CASA has the money to provide food, medicine and care for the animals and to buy detergent, bleach, and any other needs of the shel- ter. There is no need to constantly beg the community for donated items.
I am no longer a volunteer, but my heart remains with the dogs, cats, and kittens in the care of CASA, as with all volunteers. If we had not been forced to resign, these issues would have been on the top of the “to accomplish” list. I sincerely hope that the current board of directors will put the welfare of the animals first.
Sandra Murphy Camano Island
