FMAS in critical times

Nancy Simpson/The Madera Tribune

From left are FMAS Board Member Kirsten Gross (holding Bobby), Diana Frazier (holding Simpson), and Becky Koop (holding Lucien).

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The Friends of Madera Animal Shelter (FMAS) has served Madera County for 23 years with its care and concern for animals within the local communities. However, FMAS is in tough times, and is in danger of closing.

The 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation began in 2002 with the purpose of improving the quality of life for the animals of Madera County.

The idea of this organization came as a result of the overcrowding of the Madera Animal Shelter.

Carrie Tuttle filed the original articles of incorporation, and continues to be actively involved, now serving as treasurer.

Kirsten Gross, a board member of FMAS, was also one of the original founders, and works closely with the animals in the office located at 25916 Avenue 17 in Madera.

“I was working at the shelter, and it was a disaster,” Gross said. “We had a 95 percent euthanasia rate at that point in time. Animals were pouring in and there was no way to get them out. It was an open-door policy, too. They were flooding in. I needed help. And we started the Friends Group.”

Through FMAS, there have been low-cost vaccine clinics to save Madera’s pet owners money and keep animals healthy. Volunteers work the clinics.

FMAS is dedicated to saving animals in crisis, working with rescue partners, and finding qualified homes through adoption efforts. Many of the animals who are caught, spayed or neutered, fostered, and then taken for adoption are transported to the Bay area where people are wanting to adopt an animal.

But now, the Friends of Madera Animal Shelter is experiencing a crisis. There are too many unwanted dogs and cats, and there are limited and costly spay and neuter assistance programs. FMAS is underfunded.

Last year, one of FMAS’s transport vans was stolen. When it was retrieved, it had been stripped and was useless. Since that time, FMAS has tried to get donations to replace the van, which will cost $75,000. So far, they have received $40,000 in donations for the van.

Additionally, there is a need for operational funding. They have lost some major funding sources, such as PetSmart, who used to have a regular funding source for them.

Diana Frazier, who has worked with the shelter for 14 years, is the main person who transports the animals to the Bay area, as well as picking up animals when she gets a phone call.

“We were told that the money was getting low, but we didn’t know it was down to $8,600 left of operating money,” she said. “We have the Linda Sitterding money, but that’s earmarked, and you can’t touch it for anything, but the spay and neuter.”

The non-profit organization needs $180,000 per year to continue operating. They are looking for support from donors, knowing there are many people in our community who care about animals.

She explained that Sitterding had left FMAS money in her estate, and the money was designated to be used only for spaying and neutering, and not for other operational expenses such as gas, electricity, rent, and other expenses.

Frazier related story after story about situations where she has helped animals. She showed a picture of a cat whose tail had been severely injured, apparently caught in something. There was a bad infection, and she took the cat and treated it. Frazier was able to spare the life, through love and care.

She then took the cat to Dr. Ruble at Madera Animal Hospital, who treated “Bobby” and amputated the tail. Bobby will be taken to the Bay Area to be adopted as soon as he is healed enough to be transported.

Frazier spends time trapping stray animals to be spayed or neutered, so that they can be adopted. Madera County is now in a crisis situation with the stray cats and dogs in the area. Without FMAS, many of the animals would continue to populate our communities. It is critical to get the population down.

“We get credit for every adoption we do up there, which is an automatic kickback. If we get 500 cats adopted, we get a $5,000 kickback. If we get 750 adopted, we get a $15,000 automatic kickback,” Frazier said. They also get rewards from PetSmart.

“The animals come from various sources. The shelter sends them to us when they don’t take in cats, and I adopt them out up there because there’s so many more homes. They’re indoors. This valley’s overrun,” Frazier said.

“Take the 850 cats we did last year. If I put those 850 into homes here, guess what happens? That’s 850 less homes for what is suffering out here. We’re overpopulated in this valley. You don’t have this problem up there at all,” Frazier said.

“And you have a higher income level and other things that help. They can afford them more, and they’re fixed, so they want them,” Gross said.

“Doing adoptions through PetSmart, bless their heart, they’re a wonderful partner,” she said. “And they give us a bonus for doing adoptions through their organization.”

“We can’t lose FMAS in Madera,” Gross said. “There’ll be nowhere for the people to go. So, if the shelter is not taking in cats unless they’re sick or injured, what happens with all these kittens? Because we don’t have mass spay and neuter going on like we did a few years ago.”

Frazier showed a picture of puppies that were dropped off in a cage outside FMAS.

“They were dumped right here,” she said. “And thank God they were here, because what if they dumped them in the orchard? They couldn’t get out of that. They were three weeks old, 19 of them.”

She asked for this message to get out to whoever left the puppies.

“It’s great not to dump them in the orchard, but give me a break. Nineteen of them. Nineteen of them in a chicken coop,” she continued. “What I really want to say, and this is extremely important to me, to all of us. No questions asked. You won’t be in trouble. Give them my number and I will fix those. We, FMAS, will fix those mama dogs for free. Otherwise, in four more months, you’re going to have another 19. And what’s going to happen to them?”

Diana’s phone number is (559) 975-5370. She answers this number 24/7.

A Tax Measure to help

There is a petition circulating for a Tax Measure to help Animal Services in Madera County. The petition, if enough signatures are collected, will put this Tax Measure on the November ballot to approve one-quarter of a percent additional sales tax, to assure adequate funding for updated animal services facilities, a low cost spay/neuter veterinary hospital, subsidized spay/neuter services, and other services all to reduce the current pet population explosion in the county.

There are 5,000 signatures needed for this petition to make it to the ballot. The deadline is the end of June.

If anyone would like to sign the petition, there is one available to sign at the office of The Madera Tribune, 2591 Mitchell Court in Madera.

Signers must be registered voters in Madera County.

“It’s extremely important,” Frazier said.

If this Measure is passed, it will allow FMAS a larger office, and greater capabilities to keep the work going.

Donations for FMAS are greatly appreciated. Call (559) 363-5106 to donate. Visit them on Facebook at facebook.com/friendsofmaderaanimalshelter.