Friends of North Augusta Animals details shelter gains, asks city to identify land and expand volunteer roles

Tyler Gallus, president of Friends of North Augusta Animals (FONA), told the City of North Augusta’s Feb. 2 public power hour that the volunteer-run group has helped the city achieve a 95% save rate at the municipal pound and that intakes are down roughly 40–50% year over year.

Gallus said the city’s animal-control budget has been increased from $28,000 to $38,000 and that FONA earned a $15,000 grant from the Community Foundation, with about $9,000 of that set aside specifically for spay-and-neuter services. He said the average spay or neuter costs about $500 and that FONA volunteers have logged roughly 1,000 unpaid hours helping at the pound.

“We’ve seen more happen in the last six months than any time since FONA was founded,” Gallus said, attributing progress to “supportive city leadership, a great relationship with public safety, and our amazing volunteers.”

Gallus made three formal requests to city leaders: that they (1) consider city-owned land or assets — he cited the public-safety building and the old golf course as discussion possibilities — as sites for a new shelter; (2) develop a clearer, direct communication plan between animal-control staff and volunteers so issues can be resolved before public criticism arises; and (3) expand volunteer authority and coverage so animals are not kenneled excessively while staff are off duty.

“Even when a new staff member starts, they’ll have time off,” Gallus said, urging the council to look for ways volunteers can be empowered to provide better daily care.

Councilman Robert Freitas later updated the council during administrative reports on progress stemming from FONA requests. Freitas said the city has identified a vendor for portable kennel pods to create quarantine space for sick animals and that a sole-source letter is pending to enable purchase. He reported that drainage-improvement bids at the kennel site came in higher than expected and that public-works staff are evaluating whether to piggyback on a current artificial-turf installation bid to control costs. Freitas said an installed back door with a window is complete and ventilation-improvement quotes are under review. The animal-shelter committee added two members and plans a feasibility study that will include cats in scope and will define needed shelter size and functions.

Freitas summarized the committee’s near-term steps as organizational (mission, bylaws) and technical (feasibility, ventilation, drainage), and said staff and FONA will continue collaborating.

The council did not take a formal vote tied directly to the FONA presentation; Gallus’ requests were recorded as public comment and staff later reported follow-up work in the administrative update.

What’s next: Councilman Freitas and city staff will continue cost and feasibility work and return recommendations to the council; FONA said it would publish volunteer-hour statistics and follow up on suggestions such as microchip stations for parks.