Victory! South Bend Gets Funding for New Animal Shelter

South Bend humanitarians descended on the city council in droves on Monday night to listen to the debate concerning funding for a new animal shelter in the city. Many carried homemade signs stating, "No Merge" or "Listen to the People."

The controversy was over a proposal to merge South Bend Animal Care and Control with St. Joseph Humane Society instead of funding a new animal shelter. Local activists opposed the merger, noting that South Bend Animal Care and Control had been making great strides toward improving the welfare of animals in their community and they desperately needed a new facility.

In a recent blog, I noted that  these smart activists had gotten the South Bend Redevelopment Commission to approve $1.5 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) for the animal shelter project. Unfortunately, because of cost overruns, they needed the city council to pass a resolution for  more money ... $400,000 more.

City Councilman David Varner decided to rock the boat and opposed using TIF funds for the new animal shelter in the city's low income neighborhood. The project was stalled when he introduced the resolution to merge with the local humane society.

The activists did not give up. Rescue groups collaborated with one another to lead the charge and, most importantly, they did the math. They used the dire economic climate to the animals' advantage and showed the city council that contracting with the humane society would cost taxpayers more money in the long run. They met one-on-one with city council members and made respectful and polite calls. They started a petition on Change.org and got local press coverage on the issue.

Before the vote, 472 animal lovers had signed the petition supporting a new shelter. On Monday night, victory was theirs:  the council voted 7 to 1 in favor of a resolution to approve the additional funds to build a new facility for South Bend Animal Care and Control.

Because of Monday's vote, on Tuesday it was a slam-dunk at the Redevelopment Commission meeting, where they  approved the additional $400,000. Even Councilman Varner, who serves on the Redevelopment Commission, had a change of heart and supported the the project.

Mayor Stephen Luecke summed it up by stating, "We believe that there is not only room in St. Joseph County for two animal control facilities, there is a need in St. Joseph County for two animal control facilities."

Animals activists in the city are rejoicing. Valerie Schey, President of CARE of South Bend, stated, “We are delighted with the City’s decision to invest in a new, state of the art animal shelter. This marks a significant step forward for the City of South Bend in terms of animal welfare.”

Let's hope South Bend leadership continues on this humane path and one day will achieve the goal of  No More Homeless Pets for their community.

Photo Credit: Valerie Schey