Joanne Spooner created this fund with a mission to keep the Rusk County Animal Shelter building up-to-date and in good repair for the comfort and safety of the animals sheltered there and the employees/volunteers working there.
Joanne stated, “The old animal shelter had been allowed to fall into terrible disrepair, and I was determined to prevent that from happening to the new animal shelter. Friends of the Rusk County Animal Shelter members had fundraised and worked for many years to promote a new shelter, and my husband and I provided a significant amount of funding for the new shelter. I wanted to ensure that the building would be well maintained, and that future improvements or expansion would be possible.”
“When advocating for a new animal shelter, I pledged to the Ladysmith City Council and the Rusk County Board of Supervisors that I would establish a RCCF endowed fund to help financially support that new shelter into the future. Once they voted yes, and the new shelter was being built, I kept my promise and created the fund. I expect that money, from my fund, will be granted on an as-needed basis. The building is quite new and hasn’t needed repairs or major improvements yet.”
“The fund is set up with specific things the monies can and cannot be used for. Monies can be used for possible major improvements and repairs. While I’m still alive, I would like to be informed of and consulted with about fund expenditures. However, the Rusk County Animal Shelter Committee and the shelter manager ultimately have the sole responsibility to jointly decide what improvements are deemed most beneficial or necessary for the animal shelter building on a given year and to submit that decision to the Rusk County Community Foundation Board.”
