The Dukes County Commission this week unveiled a financial plan for the takeover of the Island’s only animal shelter, the Katharine M. Foote memorial shelter in Edgartown, after the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals pulls up stakes and leaves the Island at the end of this week.
The plan would use a mix of contributions from the towns and fund-raisers to keep the facility, already renamed the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard, in business.
Moving quickly to fill the potential void created by the loss of the Island’s only animal shelter, the Dukes County Commission voted without dissent on Wednesday to take over the Katharine M. Foote memorial shelter in Edgartown after the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Animals pulls up stakes and leaves the Island May 1.
The Edgartown animal shelter scheduled to close May 1 will be available for a future Vineyard animal home, the head of the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) announced during a visit to the Island Wednesday.
At the same time, MSPCA president and chief executive Carter Luke elaborated on costs for the Vineyard shelter, which the MSPCA says has run a six-figure loss for at least five years, presenting a daunting financial prospect for any locally-run alternative.
