Leadville-Lake County animal shelter seeks more fosters and grants, plans assistant manager hire

Caitlin Pusco, director of the Leadville Lake County Animal Shelter, told the Lake County Board of County Commissioners at a work session that the shelter’s immediate priorities are increasing fundraising, expanding its foster and volunteer base, and hiring an assistant manager to cover daily operations.

Pusco said the shelter has pursued multiple grants and identified two additional grant opportunities. She described a proposed budgeted position for a grant administrator and said the shelter has discussed creating a nonprofit “friends of” organization so it can apply for grants restricted to nonprofits. “One of our short term goals, especially with the animal shelter advisory board, is continuing to have fundraising efforts increased,” Pusco said.

The shelter also is expanding community fundraising efforts such as a mural project in its lobby, where community members pay to paint squares on the adoption-photo wall. Pusco said those small local efforts complement larger grant-seeking work.

On staffing, Pusco said the shelter will hire an assistant manager next year; the role is intended to cover day-to-day operations so the director can focus on reports, projects and grant writing. “We always…