PRAIRIE GROVE -- Friends of Prairie Grove Pound recently asked local business leaders if they would be willing to get behind a plan to build and open a cat clinic to offer low-cost spay and neuter services.
Sharon Glover, a member of Friends' board of directors, said the non-profit group has only been able to raise $6,000 toward a $50,000 goal to build a new structure next to the city's animal pound. She has applied for 12 grants but not been approved for any yet.
Other Chamber News:
Prairie Grove Chamber held a morning gathering at Prairie Grove Event Center for its April 5 meeting. Plans are to change up meeting times to provide more opportunities for members to attend the meetings.
"We need to get this done," Glover told members of the Prairie Grove Area Chamber of Commerce during a morning meeting this month. "We have big hearts but small checkbooks. We need people with big hearts and big checkbooks."
The bottom line, Glover said, is the organization needs the business community in Prairie Grove to step up and help pay for the project.
In the past two years, Friends of Prairie Grove Pound along with NWA Community Cat Project have spayed or neutered more than 1,000 cats with its monthly cat clinics held in the city's maintenance facility.
One of the reasons for a cat clinic, Glover said, is to address the feral cat population, a problem that can be found in many small towns. She said Friends decided the best way to reduce the population would be through no cost and low cost clinics open to everyone, regardless of income.
The city has allowed the group to use its maintenance building for the clinics but plans now are to rehab that space and it will no longer be available.
Statistics show the cat clinic is worthwhile and making a difference, Glover said.
"We've had 21 clinics in the last two years, 1,200 cats. Multiply that by litters and you can see how many kittens are not running around," Glover said.
From January 2016-January 2018, the number of stray and feral cats has dropped by 40 percent, according to Glover. The number of feral litters dropped by 90 percent.
Friends of Prairie Grove Pound has a 3,000-square-foot metal building kit donated for the clinic and the city has agreed to allow it to be erected next to the Pound. Friends estimates it will need $10,000-$15,000 for the foundation and $35,000 for the inside of the building.
The immediate need is money for the foundation, Glover said. Several people have offered to provide their services for the inside of the building so it's possible this cost can be reduced by volunteer efforts.
"No one in Washington County has this but it will not happen unless we can generate enough funds," she said.
When the clinic is finished, the Pounds will have space for a low cost clinic for dogs and will have space for an office, storage and a "meet and greet" room for adoptions.
"This will give us a building to realize our full potential," she said.
General News on 04/18/2018