LIFETIME CARE

“Lifetime Care” means that The “10 Life” Sanctuary, Inc. will provide food, shelter, and medical care for the life of all its animals. We will also provide a quality of life that keeps our animals active and “happy” (i.e., stress free) in a safe environment.

However, lifetime care is contingent upon future funding

“What happens if you run out of money to operate the sanctuary? What happens to the animals?” We get these two questions, a lot!

             Once a cat becomes a “10th Lifer” we become responsible for its well being. Part of being responsible for its well being is to make sure we have enough money to operate.

             We don’t have a million dollars in the bank nor any kind of endowment to guarantee that we will always have money to operate. (We wish we did!)

             So, we have two choices:

1. Charge enough money at the time of admission to provide lifetime care for the animal, or

2. Charge a small amount to cover the first year of the animal’s estimated life span and pay for the remaining years of the animal’s life out of the proceeds of an ongoing fund raising program that provides all the necessary funds to operate.

             Few people have enough money to pay for lifetime care up front (about $4,000 per feral cat). So, if we’re going to take in animals from the public, we have only one real choice: Collect some money up front, at the time of Admission, and establish an ongoing fund raising campaign.

We now charge the owner of the animal our costs for one year of care. We also have put in place an ongoing fund raising program to provide for the lifetime care of our animals.

             Our current fund raising program includes soliciting donations from individuals, applying for grants from foundations, governments, and corporations, and conducting individual projects to generate funds. We will expand these fund raising efforts.

             It’s a responsible plan. We’d be irresponsible if we didn’t do it.

But, the question stands: “What happens to the animals if we don’t raise enough money to operate?”

             If after cutting all operating costs to a bare minimum, we find that we still don’t have enough money to operate - and we find that the only solution is to shut our business down - then we will try to find homes or other organizations to take our animals.

             Failing that, we will euthanize our animals. We will not let them starve to death.

People who surrender animals to us must realize that there are no guarantees in life. Banks fail and endowments can get destroyed in stock market plunges. We will do the best we can, we will make our best efforts to raise enough money to operate. But, the reality of providing lifetime care for our animals is contingent upon our ability to continuously raise money.

             The best way for people to ensure that the animals they surrendered to us are able to live a long time at our sanctuary is to participate in our ongoing fund raising campaigns. They can help us raise funds and/or make donations.

As the owner of the animal described on the other side of this document, I have read the above statement and understand that The “10th Life” Sanctuary, Inc. will make it’s best efforts to provide lifetime care, as described above, for my animal - and recognize that lifetime care is contingent upon my payment of $ ____________ and upon The “10th Life” Sanctuary, Inc.’s ability to secure future funding.

Date ___________________

Owner’s Signature: ___________________________________________________________________________