Selling Second Chance Animal Shelter property is not right

The idea and plan to sell the Second Chance Animal Adoption property with the partially built animal shelter is outrageous.

And the recent article in the Bonners Ferry Herald gives a false picture, erroneous information based on opinion and a lack of knowledge on the history of the organization or the needs of the community.

Over half of the board members have lived here for 4 years or less and don't seem to understand what our county does or doesn't need. They have not been a part of the early love and dedication of scores of volunteers donating hundreds of hours of time.

It has not come close to that amount of time and dedication in the last year. For the past 10 years, Second Chance has had a sterling reputation and tremendous support from the community in time and money. We cannot let them down.

For over 4 years, Second Chance has worked on a dream of having a shelter. It has required over $200,000, hundreds of hours of donated time, discounted materials, donated equipment and just hard work.

Now the new board has chosen to sell the building and property for a small profit and start the whole thing over. The 20 acres was worth at least $200,000 when we bought it (twice the amount we paid) and we have spent about $130,000 on the building as it sets.

It would take three times that amount today and no free help. With the asking price of $324,000, they will profit about $60,000 and at whose expense?

The land alone, at today's prices, is worth at least $340,000.

The new board has no idea of what it has taken to get to this point and they never will. They are faced with all the permits that are hard to get. They will have set Second Chance back at least 5 to 10 years in its goal to have a much needed shelter for the animals in our community.

The old board did not "bail out" as was quoted in the article. Three board members were at, or close to, the end of the time allowed by the SCAA by-laws (6 years) and/or had family and career obligations.

They donated hundreds of hours of time and dedication and love.

The new board has some excellent people, but the majority of the new ideas are from two people. Most of the current board members, being new to the community (including the president) do not fully know the community or understand it needs and limitations. What their former communities had or "needed" is not something we need or can accommodate.

Second Chance is in its worst state since its beginning because we cannot take animals. In the past six months there have been only two dogs in foster care. Many, many have been turned down. We have no place to put them. We don't really know what has become of many of the animals in need.

Second Chance has had a good reputation for more than nine years. But now it seems like everything is being changed and redone, while we accomplish nothing.

The community is going to lose faith if Second Chance doesn't get its act together and start taking care of the animals.

Our former president and director of many years fostered as many as 25 dogs in their barn for over eight years, giving them excellent care and love, at considerable time and expense to them. A few of those dogs still remain in their care at their expense. They are still doing more for the animals in the community than is otherwise being done.

Our Thrift Store continues to raise much needed funds for the organization. Thanks to the generosity of the community with donations and purchases and time, the store has done well. But that too is starting to struggle.

There was a time when the store had as many as four volunteers a day; now there are not many more than that per week. Volunteers are becoming discouraged. I have heard people say, with sadness, "things are not the same anymore."

People have been asking for many months, "When is the shelter going to be ready?" We have no answer for them. I fear for the future of Second Chance; the organization I have been dedicated to and loved. I want it to succeed and fulfill its original dream and mission.

Cindy Dalrymple

SCAA Board Member 2001-2007

SCAA volunteer 1998-2008