General Meeting Minutes- January 2025

Time: 6:30PM - 7:30PM

Location: The Gathering Place, Rangely, CO

MEETING MINUTES

Current Business

Kelly reported on the following items:

Grant funding and financial items:

Grant Updates - The application for the Colorado Pet Overpopulation Fund (CPOF) grant was submitted on January 9, 2025. The due date for this grant is February 15, 2025 and there should be word regarding successful procurement of this grant in March. 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 spay and neuter of surrendered and impounded cats and dogs at the Town of Rangely Animal Shelter. 

CPOF also has a grant that Kelly is considering applying for that could be used for community pets to off-set the cost of spay/neuter and vaccinations. This would be a 3-tiered collaboration with the veterinarian reducing the cost of services, the Town or 4R Animals contributing, and the grant covering the majority of the cost.

On January 23, 2025, Kelly met with Jocelyn Mullen and Lisa Piering to discuss collaboration on capital grants. Jocelyn indicated that Lisa typically researches the available grants. At this time, they are considering the USDA Rural Development grant, however this involves a tremendous amount of work prior to even applying, including engineered plans and a solid budget. Lisa said there is even the possibility of a long-term loan. Ideas were discussed such as phasing the new shelter project and leaving the existing structure to use for administrative duties, modular units, etc. Kelly will reach out to the Animal Assistance Foundation to see what they have available for funding for rural shelters and will report at next month’s meeting.

Christen reported on the following:

Volunteers - Trying to gauge interest in volunteers who would be interested in helping once a month. Christen used the December Group Walk event as an example. During this event, five individuals took the shelter dogs on an extended walk. The dogs, and humans truly enjoyed the event! 

Saturday in the Park - Christen envisions a “day in the park” for the shelter animals and she is working to secure the unused baseball field across from the recreation center as an area where the dogs could be turned loose and allowed to run freely. The area would be secured ahead of time by volunteers and kiddy pools could be set up and filled with water. Volunteers could walk the dogs from the shelter to the field to provide the dogs with additional exercise. This could even be turned into an adoption event, potentially in conjunction with a community event such as ROAR. Ideas were discussed such as bringing food trucks and a snow cone maker to increase community interest. Christen will be contacting Matt Scoggins to get his approval on using the field. Several community members would be invited and their expertise or products directly pertaining to canine health, nutrition, and training would be utilized.

Donations and Expenditures - Jar donations were $90.25 for the month of January, which is down from previous months, but not surprising given that this was a short collection period after the holidays (collected on 1/08/25)). A $133.00 order was placed to Chewy for canned cat food, kitty litter and other necessities for the shelter.

New Board appointment - Haley Chilton is now the Director of Marketing for 4R Animals. Linda Farney has left the board as Treasurer. Christen will now be taking over the treasury duties. Lisa suggested working with Jeani Caldwell for marketing needs and to try and increase membership and attendance for the group.

Haley reported on the following items:

Blanket Drive - The blanket drive was a success bringing in a large amount of donated blankets to be used in the dog kennels. Laycie reported that there were enough blankets that many had to be stored in tubs for later use.

Donation Jars - In February, the jars will be changed to include a Valentine theme, highlighting individual dogs and a “Looking for a Valentine?” label.

Sponsorship for adoption - Haley is working to get local businesses involved with a sponsorship program for potential adopters. The sponsors would cover the cost of adopting one of the shelter animals. This would help incentivize the businesses on social media and provide advertising through this program. There are plans to work with the Angie Shepherd who owns The Fur Factory to entice adopters with a free grooming session for the newly adopted animal. 

Chamber Membership - 4R Animals is now a member of the Rangely Chamber of Commerce. The enhanced membership was purchased, with benefits which include printing and copying through the chamber, as well as the opportunity for a more visible presence in the community.  At the upcoming Chamber of Commerce Crab Crack, 4R Animals will have two tickets to the Glenwood Caverns available for raffle, which will help get the 4R Animals name out in the community.

Volunteers and Committee Membership - Haley is actively working on increasing both the volunteer base and membership for 4R Animals. By reaching out to Jeani Caldwell for more volunteers and requesting email addresses from raffle participants, she is aiming to build a stronger connection with the community. This could help not only in boosting participation but also in fostering a more engaged network of people who are interested in supporting the cause. 

Discussion

Laycie is coordinating the transport of three of the shelter dogs to the Summit County shelter on January 31, 2025. These transfers often provide the animals with a better chance of adoption. She selected the dogs who have been at the shelter the longest: Tank, Dakota and Diamond. Laycie will be posting on social media regarding this transfer. She would like the community to know that by transferring these animals to another shelter, it increases the potential for them to be adopted. Haley asked if 4R Animals could support this transfer financially or otherwise, but Laycie confirmed the Town will cover these travel expenses.

Haley questioned Laycie about the electrical issues and ensuing fire in the shelter a week prior. Laycie and Lisa explained that multiple space heaters were being used and overloaded the system, causing the heater to break down. A tech on duty contacted Laycie that he smelled smoke in the building. Laycie recruited an electrician who is an employee of Ducey’s Electric and they discovered a small electrical fire in the wall and immediately addressed the issue. Ducey’s electric was able to fix the problem the following Monday and the heater is currently working. There were no animals or humans hurt in this incident.

Mark asked if the car port could be used to take dogs in and out of the building for their walks rather than through the reception area where the house cats are kept to reduce the interaction between dogs and cats. Laycie said this would be an option, but would not recommend opening it on windy days. Mark offered to fix it and donate his time. Lisa suggested that the Town maintenance crew could work on repairing the door. 

Lisa suggested we give kudos to the college students who work as techs at the shelter and who help volunteer to walk dogs. These individuals will be graduating in May and we will be losing them when they move away, leaving a huge hole in both the staff and volunteer pool. 

No further business.

Meeting adjourned at 7:11 p.m.