Carson Animal Services Initiative receives $25,000 grant, donation

A $25,000 grant and a $7,000 donation are being received by the Carson Animal Services Initiative (CASI), according to Lisa Schuette, CASI founder.

Schuette said the not-for-profit and volunteer organization, which spearheaded private sector fund raising to help city government finance a new Carson City Animal Shelter, got the grant from the Helen Close Charitable Foundation.

Schuette credited Linda McKenzie as the main grant writer helping secure the $25,000 from the charitable foundation in Reno.

She said the $7,000 donation came from Jerry and Phyllis Latzy of Minden.

“I am once again amazed, grateful and thrilled,” said Schuette. She called the Latzy contribution “a wonderful donation” and said the couple has been shown the shelter site.

In addition, Schuette said the funds are atop a $6.500 donation from Southwest Gas for 2016. She said in 2015, the gas company donated $6,000.

Grants and donations mean CASI has raised $228,000, according to Schuette. She said next Thursday the city will present the city with $200,000 of it and funds will continue being raised.

She added CASI will continue involvement with the spay/neuter program in Carson City and helping to equip the new shelter. It’s being built at city government’s corporate yard on the city’s east side.

The project cost overall is more than $4 million. City government is providing just under $4 million of that from bonded indebtedness backed by the city’s 2014 boost of the city sales tax by one-eighth of a penny.

The old shelter in the same area is at 3770 Butti Way. It’s operated by the Nevada Humane Society via a contract, with city government. The Reno-based society also provided a donation of $225,000 to help in building and equipping the new shelter.