Just two months into 2017, a Muncie nonprofit is making plans for the future.
Local “no-kill” animal shelter and adoption center Animal Rescue Fund (ARF) says it is going through significant changes this year. The shelter could look vastly different from what Muncie citizens may have seen in the past.
Many of the planned changes come from new executive director of ARF Jody Leddy. Leddy has been the executive director for a little over a month and says she has been working tirelessly to perfect her vision for the group.
“One of the main things that has never been done that I’m going to implement soon is an annual funding campaign,” Leddy said.
ARF has had smaller funding campaigns in the past, but Leddy wants to reach more people and bring in more revenue. She plans to open a low-cost spay and neuter clinic for families who have a low income.
“That will really help us be able to take care of our animals here that we consider sort of our permanent residents,” Leddy said.
Another major change to ARF is the hiring of a veterinarian. Dr. Rachel Williams, Purdue University alumna, is the first full-time veterinarian on staff.
“My job consists of daily rounds with all animals on ARF's campus, which basically means going around and assessing each animal's behavioral and medical status each morning,” Williams said.
Williams will also be in charge of performing spaying and neutering at the new clinic that is set to open in April 2017. She believes ARF is moving in a new direction to better serve the community and the health of people’s pets.
“I think now ARF is working toward getting to the root of the problem and trying to cut off the source of it by sterilizing not only homeless animals but also animals in the community,” Williams said. “Often families on a fixed or low income are unable to afford annual veterinary visits, which unfortunately means these animals sometimes remain intact.”
ARF says it operates on approximately $450,000 a year. However, with the future changes made, Leddy and staff are hopeful that the shelter will flourish and grow.
“We really operate on a shoestring budget, and I’ll say skeletal staff. We do a lot with very little,” Leddy said.
Leddy says ARF will be more involved in the community at events like food festivals, music festivals and art fairs this spring.
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