The Villages - June 2019 - 21

I always tell people, 'Go out and see
what adopts you.' nInety percent of
the tIme, that's how It happens.
- Joe Sprague
"This year we're on track to adopt out 340 dogs and 525 cats,"
executive director Joe Sprague said. Running the organization,
overseeing funds and supervising staff are part of Sprague's role.
But the occasional game of ball toss with the office mascot also is
a priority.
"I got Stanley from a cruelty case," Sprague explained. A bigeyed black lab with a sleek coat, Stanley sniffs around then plops
down in a sunny corner of the office - content. "You'd never
know he weighed just 30 pounds a year and a half ago," Sprague
said. "He had to have seven blood transfusions and he was on
death row for almost a month."
The cost of rehabilitating the broken dog: $7,000. But that
didn't sway Sprague.
"We don't put a price tag on any of our animals," he said. "If
we did, Stanley would not be here today."
When it comes to funds, the facility relies on the gifts of the
community.
"We are not for profit, a 501(c)(3) organization," Sprague said.
"We don't get money from the county, state or federal government.
Our money comes from donations and special events."
And while adopters pay a small fee for taking home animals,
ranging from $25 to $225, the money only helps offset the actual
cost of care and maintenance.
"By the time a dog or cat is ready for adoption, we've invested at
least $300 into that animal," Sprague said. "While they're here, we
give them medical exams. We vaccinate and spay or neuter them.
We continue to feed them, give them monthly flea and heartworm
treatments, and our investment increases every month."
When dogs come in with injuries, as in Stanley's case, the costs
climb.
"We have three three-legged dogs now," Sprague said. "Those
surgeries alone are $400. While we get discounted veterinary
care, it's not free."
Finances aside, the shelter faces another ongoing challenge:
placing certain breeds.
"Everyone seems to want a small dog," Sprague said. "Or they
have a picture in their mind of what they want to adopt. Someone's
cat just died and they want an orange tabby just like her. I always
tell people, 'Go out and see what adopts you.' Ninety percent of the
time, that's how it happens."
Sprague reaches over and runs a hand through Stanley's fur.
"The day I went out with our rescue squad, I rode with this
guy and picked ticks off of him," he said. "Then he wouldn't let
anyone else feed him. You could say I adopted him, but the truth
is he picked me."

Joe Spraque's office
mascot, Stanley.

MAGAZINE

The Villages - June 2019

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