4 SARL Drive, Salem, NH 03079 (603) 890-2166, fax (603) 890-8717

Salem Animal Rescue League’s Annual Report

The Salem Animal Rescue League’s ninth year was certainly a busy one, especially for our cat volunteers.  Although SARL saw tremendous growth in numbers of cats and kittens that were placed, our total number of adoptions showed only a slight increase from 1999.

For a second year in a row, the number of dogs and puppies placed by SARL decreased. The main reason for this decline is that fewer pregnant females or litters of puppies are being released to SARL. There was a 50% drop in incoming puppies in 1999 and only 4 puppies placed in 2000. This pattern can also be seen in other regional shelters. For the most part, dog owners have become more responsible and tend to spay or neuter their canine companions thereby reducing the “unwanted” or “unplanned” litters of puppies.

The other factor that limited the dog numbers was the actual set up of the kennel we share with the Town of Salem’s Animal Control Officer (ACO). The outside runs were made up of two large areas on either side of the kennel. If SARL took custody of more than one dog that did not get along with other dogs, or Salem’s ACO had some problem or dog aggressive dogs, for safety sake, SARL would stop accepting private turn-ins. This became a huge problem during the summer months and many dogs were turned away.  Approval was finally granted from the Salem Police Department and some modifications were made to the outside runs. There are now five distinct areas that dogs can be separated into which will hopefully prevent some of the injuries we have seen in the past.

* Includes cats from neighboring ACOs

As stated earlier, cat numbers continue to grow. SARL saw a 16% increase in cats adopted between 1999 and 2000.

The larger “Kitty City” and solid team of volunteers, allows SARL to keep more cats and kittens healthy and happy while they wait for their new home. Monthly Open Houses, as well as, weekly “Pet of the Week” photos in the Eagle Tribune have helped increase awareness of our shelter.

“Citizen Strays” represent the largest influx of animals at 49%. Citizen strays are only seen on the cat side and represent those felines that are cared for but not owned by the public. They receive food and sometimes shelter from a caring individual but rarely medical care. Eventually help is sought from a shelter, often after females become pregnant or weather turns severe. We are extremely grateful that our effort to place these somewhat neglected animals into loving, safe homes has been so successful.

Owner turn-ins account for the next largest group of animals at 30.4%. Animal control strays account for 12.5% of the remaining numbers with transfers from other shelters and “born into” SARL dropping to an all time low of 8.5%. Whenever possible, pregnant animals are spayed as long as the well being of the mother is assured.

Since SARL’s mission continues to emphasize the placement of abandoned or unwanted animals in the Salem and surrounding communities, SARL is attempting to form stronger relationships with area ACOs to assist them in finding homes for the most needy of animals.

As mentioned previously, the total number of animals serviced in 2000 had increased over the previous year.  We are equally pleased the percentage of animals not placed (due to disease, age or aggression) did not go up.  Our adoption rate remains over 90% and our euthanasia rate remains at 5%.

Our volunteer network continues to fluctuate. The strain placed on the core volunteers can lead to burn out. Effort continues to be made to increase our volunteer numbers and spread responsibilities of “management” out over a stronger group of dedicated SARL officers. Volunteer meetings still do not occur as often as we would like. Orientation of new volunteers occurs on an “as needed” basis. New volunteers should also be encouraged to become more active in the actual screening and adoption process.

The Salem Animal Rescue League believes that humane education must be directed primarily toward children. The expectation is that they will then become adults who value the importance of care, kindness, and concern for animals throughout their lives. For the eighth year, SARL did presentations on the responsibility of pet ownership as well as the dangers of rabies to second graders in the Town of Salem.  We also addressed the pet over-population problem including the positive effects of spaying and neutering.  The talks were a great success and teachers look forward to these annual visits.  SARL also addresses other classes from pre-school to high school when requested. We have also developed a program for Scouts and Brownie troops. According to the age of the children, we include a visit to the shelter for “hands on” experience for older scouts or visiting kittens for the Cub Scouts and Brownies. Several videos are available to help us vary our presentations.

Salem Animal Rescue League’s newsletter, SARL Tails, continues to grow in popularity. The newsletter combines educational information, lead-ins or follow-ups on special events and touching stories about animals that have come through our shelter. Donations and memberships fees have more than paid for the printing and mailing cost of SARL Tails.

The majority of our goals are centered around our volunteers who are the backbone of SARL. The remainder of the goals involve fine tuning the shelter for comfort and safety.

            Increase volunteer numbers including those that screen calls and do adoptions

            Increased participation at Open Houses

            More frequent volunteer meetings

Improve layout of the dog kennel to provide safe confinement of “escape artist type”dogs

Obtain a storage unit, outside of Kitty City, for bulk litter and extra cage storage