Another casualty of the state budget fighting is the Human Society of Louisiana. HSLA Director Jeff Dorson said half of the state’s 64 parishes lack parish-wide facilities to provide essential services, and because there was a budget surplus again this year, Dorson said they asked for a small portion of the $1.6 billion.
“We thought it was a great opportunity to ask them for a sliver which would go to construct new animal shelters or repair existing ones,” said Dorson.
HSLA asked for $3 million of the state’s surplus to cover construction and repair costs of shelters across the state. Dorson said there was even a plan to build two shelters at state prisons where the inmates would clean and interact with pets.
“We thought it was a brilliant idea and we passed it through the Senate Finance Committee, and it died in a Conference Committee not long after, so we walked away with nothing,” said Dorson.
Last year a request for $2 million to give shelters grants for repairs or renovations was also denied.
This year Dorson said a few lawmakers decided that HSLA’s request shouldn’t go towards animal welfare and it’s to the determinant of Louisiana.
“The rest of the nation always looks down on Louisiana because we don’t do a good job in a lot of areas including pet care. We don’t take them to a vet very often, some of us don’t spay or neuter, and they aren’t on heartworm prevention. You know we have a long way to go, and this would have helped,” said Dorson.
Dorson said they will once again lobby for funding in the 2024-2025 budget and he implores the public to urge their state representatives to provide funding for shelters.
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