Sunday was the last day for the St. John Animal Care Center. The group’s president Betty Gerhardt explained, “The more animals wee take in, the higher the vet bills go. We ran out of money.” Despite the fact last summer’s benefit for the Center, the island-wide dog show, Wagapalooza, was a success. “We need a ‘sugar daddy,’ Gerhardt said.
She said the Center now has 35 animals for adoption, and is taking no more. Word of the closing was reported by the St. John Source.
Funding the volunteer operation has always been touch and go, she said. “It’s the same people helping over and over,” she told the Source, and there’s a limit to how much they can do. She also faulted some of St. John’s off-island home owners saying many are not involved in the community and do not contribute to local organizations. “We only hear from them if they have a stray animal in their yard,” she told the Source.