Peninsula Friends of Animals has established two permanent endowment funds through the Sequim Community Foundation.
One is a Lifetime Care Fund that provides care for cats whose owners can no longer do so themselves. The funds are bequeathed by the pet owner in advance through a will. The pet then is cared for in every way throughout its natural life. It may be adopted to a loving home at the owner’s request or live at Peninsula Friends of Animals’ shelter, located halfway between Sequim and Port Angeles.
Lifetime care for dogs also may be available, depending on individual circumstances.
The other endowment fund is the Peninsula Friends of Animals Fund, accumulated through bequests from anyone and used at the discretion of the board of directors for the organization’s highest and best-use needs.
The need for a lifetime care fund for cats crops up frequently in retirement communities such as Sequim when an older person must move to a care facility or dies, leaving a beloved pet homeless. If family members are unwilling or unable to take the pet, its future is often grim, leaving its owner traumatized.
Peninsula Friends of Animals and the Sequim Community Foundation have stepped forward to alleviate the heartbreak in this all too-common scenario.
“These endowment funds show the commitment PFOA has made toward the present and future care of animals in our communities,” said Diane Lopez, PFOA’s president. “This is a very exciting time for us.”
Lopez also noted an increasing number of inquiries by local residents on how they could leave bequests in their wills to Peninsula Friends of Animals. PFOA contacted the Sequim Community Foundation earlier this year to ask for help in setting up the endowments because of SCF’s knowledge and expertise on the subject. The foundation’s mission is to promote the growth of organized philanthropy that enriches the quality of life in the Sequim-Dungeness Valley region. SCF was incorporated in September 2000.
Peninsula Friends of Animals’ shelter, Safe Haven, opened its doors in February 2004 as a cat-adoption facility, housing up to 65 cats at a time. It also has a foster home network for small dogs and provides pet food, medical assistance and a spay/neuter program for both dogs and cats of low-income community residents.
For more information on establishing an endowment, contact Peninsula Friends of Animals at 452-0414 (message center) or e-mail at pfoa@olypen.com; to learn more about PFOA, visit the Web site at www.safehavenPFOA.org.
To learn more about the Sequim Community Foundation, call 582-0460; or e-mail at scf@sequimfoundation.org or visit the Web site at www.sequimfoundation.org.
