Decision to close animal shelter reversed due to community response

By Liz Ellis, Reporter

FAIRDEALING, Mo. – “This has been a dream of ours since we lived in Florida, and it was really hard thinking that our dream was going to die,” said Hank Hadley, owner of Kindred Spirits Animal Rescue Center in Fairdealing. In December, The rescue center announced their intention to close their doors for good on Feb. 1.

Hank Hadley of Kindred Spirits Animal Rescue Center once euthanized pets for a living, now he operates the only no-kill animal shelter in the area.

“We were going to close because of lack of community support and lack of funding,” Hank said. “For the last four years, my wife and I have put over $40,000 into the rescue [center] out of our own pocket.”

Their decision to close sparked a public response and donations and volunteers flocked to the small shelter to lend a hand. Last week, the shelter announced its decision to stay open, thanks to community donations and volunteers.

“The community has really stepped up to the plate,” Hank said. “I want the community to know how thankful we are that they stepped forward. It’s wonderful.”

Since the announcement, the shelter has gained five board members, 16 volunteers and received around $2,000 in private donations so far this month.

The shelter opened in 2008 and has taken in about 650 animals since. Last year alone, the shelter took in and re-homed 376 animals. Currently, the shelter is home to 26 cats, 45 dogs, 12 goats and four miniature donkeys. Of those animals, 12 cats and three dogs have been adopted as part of the Hadley family.

“This is our life,” said Della Hadley, Hank’s wife. “It’s exciting that people are noticing us. I’m really glad we’re staying open.”

“We were terribly upset when we thought he was going to have to close. It’s wonderful news that they are going to be able to stay open,” said Charlotte Craig, president of the Animal Welfare Alliance in Poplar Bluff. “If he ever has to close, it will be tragedy.”

NO-KILL SHELTER

The nonprofit organization services all of Southeast Missouri and Northeast Arkansas, and it is the only no-kill shelter in the area.

“Being a no-kill shelter does have its price,” Hank explained. “We are full all the time. I no sooner clear four or five dogs out of here, and then I will have five more come in. It’s a constant turn over.”

Even still, Hank said he does not regret the decision to be a no-kill shelter.

“In Florida, I was licensed in euthanasia, and I euthanized thousands of animals that didn’t need it, because it was my job… and when we came here, we said never again,” Hank said.

At Kindred Spirits, animals are only euthanized when they are suffering because of health problems, or simply too aggressive to adopt out again. But even that decision does not come lightly, and Hank works with all of the animals to try and help them readjust and regain their health.

“Some shelters put down for heartworm, but we do not,” Hank said. “We choose to treat it. We normally eat the costs on it, though, because it is usually around $400, and no one wants to pay that much for a pet.”

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

When Hank and Della first had their dream of running a shelter, they probably did not think of Missouri. But, after several visits here, they felt it was needed.

“My wife and I had been up here several times to visit, and we noticed coming down from the airport out of St. Louis to here, there were domesticated animals littering the highway, dead. And that really upset us,” Hank said.

They purchased their house with the intention of opening up a shelter and have since altered the garage to be a kennel for dogs, complete with indoor heating and various enclosures for puppies and an outside space suitable for the animals to run.

“This house here went on the market one day before we went back to Florida, and I looked at that garage down there and I told my wife, ‘You’ll never park your car in this garage.’ And she never has,” Hank said with a smile.

Running a shelter like this costs a staggering amount, though, and the Hadleys do everything they can to try and keep costs down. Hank worked as an animal care technician for nearly eight years in Florida, so he knows how to administer medication and do various tests on animals—which helps cut vet bills greatly. However, even with discounts, medical bills for these animals still make up a huge portion of their expenses.

“Last year our vet bill was just under $10,000 and our total operating expense last year was about $26,000,” Hank said. “Nearly half of our cost is seeing our animals are vetted properly.”

PART OF THE FAMILY

In the last year, the number of animals that found their way into the safety of the animal shelter more than doubled, and the Hadleys took in more than one animal a day.

“We have rescued horses, the goats, the miniature donkeys, dogs, cats, and the African gray parrot. The only things we don’t take in are reptiles. I don’t do snakes,” Hank said with a shiver. The shelter will even house ferrets and rodents, should the need arise. Of course, with nearly 26 cats and an African parrot living in their house, things get pretty crazy.

“We have a rule though,” Hank said. “You don’t eat the bird, and the parrot actually loves all the cats.”

“It’s like Grand Central Station some days,” Della said with a laugh. “The cats are running up the stairs and down the stairs. Two come up and then three go down… it’s really busy.”

Many of the pets they receive are drop-offs, and the shelter doors are always open to receive animals in need. They also pick up animals that have been injured by the side of the road.

“It’s really neat, and we’ve noticed that there are a lot less stray dogs around here, because people are using this place,” volunteer Don Storinser said. “People are dropping them out here instead of just dumping them somewhere.”

“He performs such a valuable and needed service for this area,” Craig said. “We hope to join him in running a no-kill shelter, and do as good a job as he does some day.”

ANIMAL PLACEMENT

The donkeys and goats at the shelter are not up for adoption, as they are kept as mascots. Of the other animals, three dogs and 12 cats are the personal pets of the Hadley family—and the rest will either be adopted out or sent to other shelters.

“We don’t have a real high adoption rate in this area,” Hank said. “We adopt out maybe six or eight pets a year, and the rest of our animals are sent to other no-kill shelters.”

All of the animals at the shelter are listed on the Internet, and occasionally shelters in other parts of Missouri or the United States will request an animal. The shelter goes through an approval process to make sure that it is a reputable place.

“It takes about a month for them to be approved,” Hank said. “I am very picky where my animals go.”

For adoptions in the area, the process is very similar. The adoptee will fill out an application form, and then Hank will go out to their property to make sure that it is suitable for the animal.

“The animals are that important to us,” Hank said.

Because Kindred Spirits is a state licensed facility, all of the animals leaving the shelter are spayed or neutered before being sent out. But more than that, each pet will get a kiss before leaving.

“Every animal that leaves here—doesn’t matter what they are—gets a kiss on the nose before they leave. Every dog, every cat, every goat, every donkey,” Hank said. “That’s my way of saying, ‘Thank you for letting me rescue you.’”

HELP NEEDED

In 2010, the shelter received about $3,000 in donations. Last year, donations were nearly $10,000, Hank said.

“I think it’s important for people to know we are a 501(c)3 and that all of their donations are tax deductable,” Hank said. “We are really looking for monthly donors—people who are willing to send $10 or $20 a month to help with daily costs.”

Throughout the year, the shelter does numerous fundraisers including a yard sale, and an upcoming fundraiser at 6 p.m. Feb. 25 at Brown & Burns law firm in Poplar Bluff.

In addition, if community members wish do donate items, Kindred Spirits has a wish list on their website of daily needs such as bleach and towels, as well as building supplies necessary to complete renovations to their facilities.

FUTURE PLANS

With the recent influx of support, the future of Kindred Spirits is brighter than ever before. Hank said he and Della are making plans to build an extension on the dog kennel in order to house more animals. They are also hoping to build their own veterinary building, which would allow for vets to come to the shelter to perform simple operations like spaying or neutering a pet. The extension is estimated to cost $3,000 to construct.

“The vets could come once a month or so, and spay and neuter right here on the property,” Hank explained. “It would be fully stocked, and allow us to offer low cost spay and neuter to the community as well.”

The shelter has also applied for several government grants which, if awarded, would help with funding and expanding their operation.

“To have somebody this close who is doing this for the animals is great,” Storinser said. “I think it’s really important that we keep this running.”

For more information about Kindred Spirits Animal Rescue Center, or to donate, visit their website at www.ksarc.org/.

Liz Ellis can be reached by emailing lizellis@semotimes.com or by calling 573-785-2200.