General Meeting Minutes- December 2024
Time: 6:30PM - 7:30PM
Location: The Gathering Place, Rangely, CO
MEETING MINUTES
Current Business
Kelly reported on the following items:
Adoption Updates - Raymond, the lab mix with the ruptured cruciate ligament, along with Elf and 2 senior cats were accepted into the Colorado Animal Rescue in Glenwood Springs where they rehome all of the animals and will provide Raymond with medical care to repair his ACL and post-op physical therapy.
Town Council Meeting - Kelly spoke publicly with the Town Council on 12/10/2024 to promote a collaborative relationship between 4R Animals and the Town. A request was made of the Town to draft a letter of support for the spay/neuter initiative and the procurement of grant funding to support this initiative. A letter of support signed by the mayor has already been received.
Grant Updates - The Colorado Pet Overpopulation Fund (CPOF) grant application opened on December 15, 2024, and will close on February 15, 2025. This grant is funded through revenue generated from Colorado's paw-themed license plates. If awarded, the funds will be used to offset the cost of spaying and neutering surrendered and impounded cats and dogs at the Town of Rangely Animal Shelter. To proceed with the application process, Kelly has presented a project timeline and information needs document. These items are necessary to ensure that all required details are provided and the application is completed on time.
Haley reported on the following items:
Donation Jars Updates - Donation jars are consistently checked for funds and deposited into the 4R Animals bank account. Haley has strategically placed the jars in high-traffic businesses, where they’ve generated substantial contributions. Currently, there are 10 jars distributed, and these are regularly checked and deposited into the 4R Animals bank account. Initially, many of these jars were labeled specifically for Raymond's surgery, but since Raymond is now with C.A.R.E. and no longer requires the funds, the jars have been rebranded with the new 4R Animals label. This ensures the donations are now supporting the broader mission of 4R Animals.
New branding - 4R Animals has been updated with a new logo and branding which can be seen on the www.4ranimals.org website, Facebook and flyers, posters and other printed materials.These materials are being strategically posted in various locations around town, with mottos like “Give the gift of adoption” to encourage community involvement. To make donations even easier, a QR code has been incorporated into some of these materials. This feature will allow supporters to donate to 4R Animals quickly and seamlessly. All funds received through these efforts will go toward supporting the shelter's needs, including essentials like food, bedding, toys, and more. This approach not only increases visibility but also streamlines the donation process for potential supporters.
Christen reported on the following items:
Donations to the Animal Shelter - A $450.00 donation was made using the Custom Amazon Wish List for the Rangely Animal Shelter. Katelyn was asked if there are any pressing needs for the shelter that 4R Animals can monetarily assist with. Katelyn responded that additional toys would benefit the animals, particularly toys for the dogs without stuffing or squeakers. She mentioned that Kong chew toys that can be filled with some type of edible stuffing would be nice to have.
December Craft Fair Recap - The Christmas Craft Fair held on December 7th was a great success. It provided an excellent opportunity to network, promote the organization's goals and vision, and engage with the community. During the fair, the team distributed printed materials, showcased a poster featuring adoptable dogs, and connected with potential supporters. In addition to raising awareness, the fair also helped generate funds, with a total of $377.00 raised.
New Business
New Board Members - Christen reported that there has been a restructuring of the 4R Animals Board of Directors. Tammy Dahle has resigned and Kelly Christian is the new secretary to the Board. Linda Farney will be stepping down at the end of December as treasurer.
Business Sponsorship Letters - Haley will be reaching out to local businesses to propose a sponsorship model where each participating business would have the opportunity to sponsor adoption fees for the shelter animals. The sponsorship would include full sponsorship fees or partial sponsorship fees. Participating businesses would be featured on the 4R Animals website. This may help with facilitating adoptions for those who can’t afford to adopt.
2025 Overview and Meeting Dates - The following are the proposed meeting dates for 2025 and will be held the last Monday of the month with the exception of May, November and December. All meeting times are from 6:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.:
January 27
February 24
March 31
April 28
May 19
June 30
July 28
August 25
September 29
October 27
November 17
December 15
In an effort to be proactive, a 12-month event/campaign proposal has been developed for both virtual and live events. Planning ahead for adoption events and activities surrounding the shelter would streamline the process and help with organization in advance.
Discussion
Katelyn is supportive of adoption events and would like to transport animals out of town to Vernal and Grand Junction to various adoption events. Grand River Humane Society and Chow Down sponsor events where they may allow Rangely to participate. Katelyn also reported that Diamond is the longest resident at the shelter, going on almost 1 year there. Katelyn would like to see Diamond adopted before she reaches the 1-year anniversary of her residence at the shelter. Katelyn also reported that Wilbur’s adoption is going well and both Wilbur and his new owner are well-suited for each other. Meghan suggested collaborating with Tractor Supply once the business is open to see if adoption events could be held there. Kelly suggested we utilize local resources, for example a community member who is currently training to be a dog trainer. Once she is certified to train, utilizing her expertise to showcase each dog and their attributes could make adoptable pets more attractive and ease the transition into new homes.
Christen would like to organize a Christmas Walk for the shelter dogs. A potential date is December 26th, however Meghan mentioned there could be lack of interest due to people that are out of town for the holidays and suggested a January walk. Haley felt that a Christmas walk could help with the low staffing the shelter is experiencing during the holidays. Christen would like to commit to a monthly group walk, map out the walk and then post it on social media to help generate interest from the community and possibly garner additional volunteers. A mid-day time would be preferred due to colder weather. Katelyn agreed to meet a group at the shelter at a designated date and time to allow for several people to walk the dogs if given sufficient notice. All of those who are interested in walking the dogs would need to complete volunteer forms. These forms can be found on-line on the Town of Rangely Animal Shelter website and can be returned to Katelyn via email.
Discussion regarding the potential to let the dogs have a “free run day” in an enclosed baseball field ensued. Ti said all of the fields are managed by the school district and Matt Scoggins would need to be contacted prior to any such event. There is an unused field across from the rec center that is a possible site for this activity.
Christen complimented Ti on the article he posted in the Rangely Review and felt it was a very positive article. Ti said that recent events have cast somewhat of a shadow on the animal shelter and he wanted to share with the community why we have a shelter and intentions of the shelter within the community. Ti said he has been very impressed with the positive direction of 4R Animals and that he is pleased with the marketing and outreach efforts, particularly the effort that was put into finding Raymond a new shelter that could better meet his needs. It was suggested that Ti or Katelyn compose a small article each month highlighting the animal shelter and have it published in the Rangely Review. Ti responded that this would be something he feels he could do in an effort to spotlight the good things that come from the efforts of the shelter and staff and the collaboration with 4R Animals. This relationship could also be highlighted on social media.
Kelly wanted to thank those “unsung heroes” that donate to the shelter animals without ever being recognized. An example she cited was a community member that donated money to Nichol’s for dog food for the shelter dogs. The money donated covered a bag of dog food and partially covered a bag of cat food. Additional funds were donated to cover the remaining cost of the food.Christen asked Katelyn for more information on the Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) program. Katelyn explained that they have a tool that cuts a V in the tip of the animal’s ear, however the local veterinarian has a new tattoo gun that she can use for identifying spayed or neutered animals.
No further business. Meeting adjourned at 7:15 P.M.