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Apatang donates 10K to Saipan Cares for Animals
Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang, center, presents a $10,000 check to Beth Pliscou, director of Saipan Cares for Animals, right. They are joined by SCA vice president Yumiko Brundridge at the new dog shelter in Afetna. (Leigh Gases)
Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang handed over a check for $10,000 yesterday afternoon to Beth Pliscou, director of Saipan Cares for Animals, that will be used to build SCA’s new animal shelter in As Lito.
Apatang turned over the check to Pliscou soon after a tour of the Saipan Mayor’s Office’s new dog shelter in Afetna. It was learned that the money was sourced from the American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Pliscou said they will start clearing and preparing the new site where SCA will relocate in As Lito on April 1 and the Saipan Mayor’s Office and Federal Emergency Management Agency will be helping them do that.
Pliscou said that FEMA and the mayor’s office are “ready to lift and clear the debris and old roofs [from the As Lito site] that probably go as far back as Typhoon Soudelor,” she added.
Most of SCA’s animals are currently housed at their animal shelter in As Gonno and the mayor’s office and SCA will work to relocate some dogs temporarily to the new animal shelter in Afetna, while building the new shelter in As Lito is in the works. By April 15, SCA hopes to relocate at least 40 dogs to Afetna as the temporary shelter is able to hold 40 dogs at a time. At this moment, the shelter in As Gonno is currently home of 68 dogs, which Pliscou is hoping the community will foster or adopt.
The Commonwealth Zoning Board has given SCA until April 30, 2022, to vacate the As Gonno property, resulting in SCA moving the animal shelter to As Lito and taking up a clinic on Middle Road.
According to Pliscou over the phone, the “$10,000 is a huge help.” When asked if additional funds and donations is welcome, she said SCA would be grateful for more help toward the building of the new shelter.
Additionally, a GoFundMe page for SCA that was created on Jan. 21 is still open for donations and has raised $4,865.00 thus far. A link to the GoFundMe can be found at https://gofund.me/0541868b.
SCA’s new clinic and shelter is open to the public at their new location on Middle Road. According to their Facebook page, Bravecto flea medicine is available, along with cat and dog vaccines.
LEIGH GASES
leigh_gases@saipantribune.com
Reporter
