DFCS, animal shelter seek help in 2012

The position would cost approximately $33,000 in 2012. Plank said DFCS can handle the cost of the post through 2011. The position is being cut by the state. It had been funded with federal stimulus money.

Despite the bad economy, Plank said there has been a decrease in the number of child abuse and neglect calls. She said this decrease has been due, at least in part, to the ability of Madison County citizens in need to get some financial help.

“I think with our economy, there’s a greater risk of abuse and neglect to kids when people aren’t able to pay the bills and put dinner on the table,” said Plank. “And when we can offer services such as food stamps and family Medicaid, that helps relieve a lot of that stress that families are going through right now…. I can’t overestimate the extent of relief someone has when they’re able to go to the grocery store and buy their kids food.”

Plank said her two employees in the Office of Financial Independence (OFI), which handle food stamps and Medicaid, are now handling twice as many cases as the state average.

She said that if the BOC chooses to fund the DFCS position in 2012, it will have a positive impact on struggling Madison County families.

“Providing another position means people get their benefits quicker,” said Plank. “They’re able to get their applications out. Their reviews are done sooner, which gets that rent paid, which gets food on the table, which reduces the stress that the families are going through, which helps prevent abuse and neglect.”

The board made no decision on Plank’s request last week.

The commissioners also heard a funding appeal from the financially strapped Madison Oglethorpe Animal Shelter last Thursday.

The shelter has received $3 per capita from both Madison County and Oglethorpe County since its origin in 2002. Those per capita contributions from the county governments were based on 2000 Census figures.

Now, shelter leaders are asking county commissioners to consider using 2010 Census figures as the basis for the government’s contribution to the shelter. Madison County showed a nine-percent population growth for 2010.

“That’s what we’re asking for is a nine percent increase,” said shelter director Susan Fornash. “Every expense the shelter has has gone up by at least that (nine percent), if not double that.”

The director noted the increases in costs for dog food, water, drugs for the animals, propane to fuel the crematorium.

“We’re losing a major donor this year because of the economy and their own downturn,” said Fornash. The shelter is largely funded off private donations.

The nine-percent increase would represent $6,000 more a year for the shelter from the county government, from $78,000 to $84,360.

“There’s nothing more that we can cut,” said Fornash. “We’ve cut to the point where’s there’s honestly nothing more we can cut. My truck is the shelter truck. All the employees are taking turns buying paper towels and bleach, things like that as we need them. Adoptions are down. Donations are down.”

Meanwhile, more and more people are surrendering their dogs and cats since they can no longer afford pets.

“For example, this afternoon, we had 27 turned in in four hours,” said Fornash. “Yesterday, we had 31 turned in in four hours. And every animal that comes through the door, whether we keep it or not has a cost attached to it.”

Fornash did not discuss wages last week, but the shelter is operating with primarily minimum wage workers. There are three full-time employees and four part-time workers. Fornash herself as shelter director makes $20,000.

The commissioners asked how much Oglethorpe County is contributing to the shelter. Fornash told them $38,000 a year. She said Oglethorpe has not agreed to increase its contribution to reflect the 2010 Census, adding that a vast majority of animals turned in to the shelter are from Madison County, not Oglethorpe County.

Fornash said the shelter has taken in over 16,000 animals during its eight years of operation.

“If people don’t start spaying and neutering, nothing is ever going to change,” said Fornash, noting that the cost of spaying and neutering is kept low to help encourage citizens to take advantage of the service, which, in the long run, keeps more animals from coming through shelter doors.

County commissioners gave no indication to Fornash whether the board would approve her request to use 2010 Census figures, rather than 2000 numbers.