ACTION COMMITTEE

The Action Committee takes responsibility for those activities connected with making the spay/neuter solution available to those who need it. Their primary goal is to set up and run the voucher system; the secondary goal is to make spay/neuter operations easy, accessible, and affordable to all.

Our desired outcome is the reduction of the domestic animal population in Monongalia County. This is an on-going and complex project. As such, the benefits from our work will start small and grow over time. But we believe that the greater the community involvement, the more quickly our goals to reduce the number of animals being euthanized at the Monongalia County Canine Adoption Center every year, to reduce the tax dollars being spent on controlling the over population, and to increase public awareness will be met.

The M-SNAP policy for solving the pet overpopulation in Monongalia County, agreed to by all members, affirms that we will send vouchers to residents in need until the money is gone. During periods that we have no funds, we will continue to maintain a waiting list, and will resume distribution of vouchers when new funds become available. M-SNAP asserts that money in the bank serves no good purpose while unwanted pets continue to be destroyed at the county pound.

The Voucher Program Policies and Procedures

Assistance is only available to permanent residents of Monongalia County. Our decision to limit assistance to permanent residents is based on the policy that allows only county residents to relinquish pets at the Monongalia County Canine Adoption Center (aka the pound).

Assistance is only available to pet owners who honestly cannot afford to fix their pet(s). M-SNAP is an all volunteer organization with no permanent funding...ie, we must earn every penny to pay for the vouchers we give away. This is not a program intended to absolve pet owners of their responsibility to fix their pets. We are trying to help those who have fallen on hard times, who have adopted more than their share of strays, who have a neighborhood stray problem that they are trying to control, or who have breeding females that have produced unwanted litters in the past.

This assistance is not for those who have made the decision to purchase a dog or cat. We believe responsible breeders should spay or neuter non-breeding quality animals before they are sold to their customers. Spayed and neutered animals at our local pound need a home much more than breeders and pet stores need your money - don't breed or buy while pound animals die.

1. A pet owner who is seeking assistance to have their pet spayed or neutered must leave a message on our answering service (304-985-0123). We ask that they include the best time to return their call. An M-SNAP member will return calls as quickly as possible. We cannot guarantee a 24 hour turnaround, please be patient. Our volunteers will make only three attempts to reach the caller, so please return their calls.

2. The M-SNAP volunteer will execute a brief intake questionnaire, collecting information for our statistics, as well as information about the pet and pet owner. Note: If the caller is not eligible for our assistance, we will attempt to assist and educate the pet owner as much as possible.

3. The voucher, cover letter and self-addressed envelope will be mailed to the pet owner. Each voucher has an expiration date.

4. The pet owner will choose from nine participating veterinary clinics and will make their own arrangements for surgery for their pet, including transportation to and from, and are responsible for their pets pre and post-op care.

5. After the procedure is completed, the clinic returns the completed voucher with an invoice to M-SNAP and invoices are paid promptly.