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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS |
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Q. Who is eligible to receive funds from the plate? A. With a state level sponsor, funds from the plate will be put into a bonded savings account were any licensed shelter In the state of Iowa can apply for grant funds to be utilized as defined In the Mission Statement Q. I have never heard of the Animal Protection and Education Charity (A.P.E.). How long have they been doing spay-and-neuter services in central Iowa? A. A.P.E. has been incorporated since 2003 as a non-profit animal charity. Their founders had been networking with veterinarians and shelters for several years prior to their actual incorporation. A. The Department of Transportation will only print the plates if we pre-sell 500 plates within one-year’s time. We need to pre-sell 500 plates before February, 2008. A. Please see our Mission Statement page. In a nutshell, A.P.E. plans to follow programs that have proven to be successful on the East Coast—i.e., the combination of affordable, spay-and-neuter services with community education. A. A.P.E. holds clinics in several counties throughout central Iowa. For clinics dates and locations, please visit the A.P.E. website: www.goape.info A. A.P.E. uses local vets at the low-cost clinics and pays these vets a fair compensation for their day’s work. Because they do not have any overhead at our clinic (no mortgage, utilities, or medical supplies on their part), they usually net more profit for themselves in that day’s work than if they would be charging full-price at their own clinics. A. A.P.E. can afford to offer substantial discounts on spay and neuter surgeries by reducing overhead, by holding the clinics in mobile locations (we have no mortgage or utilities), and by purchasing materials, such as syringes, absorbable sutures, and economy spay packs, in bulk. In addition, since A.P.E. is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization, we benefit from the donations of vaccinations and other pharmaceuticals from the manufacturers of these products. The greatest savings is that we have a team of volunteers who volunteer their time assisting the A.P.E. veterinarian and A.P.E. veterinary technicians, who are the only paid members of the team. Although we are able to offer a low-cost clinic, we pride ourselves on the gentle care provided to the animals, along with the high standards and sterile techniques. We offer the same service you would expect from a full-service clinic—no exceptions. A. Those people who pre-ordered the plates will be refunded the difference in the fee, less any postage and handling fees. A. All funds for this project, whether for pre-sales of the license plates or donations for the spay-and-neuter mobile, will be handled by Hometown Tax and Record Keeping in Gowrie, Iowa—a bonded accounting firm. Funds can only be withdrawn under the combined direction of the A.P.E. Board of Directors along with accounting firm and will require two signatures—one from the accounting firm and one from the A.P.E. Board. Q. What services does A.P.E. offer now and what services will be added with the funds from the license plates? A. Currently, A.P.E. offers low-cost clinics for shelter animals, barn cats, alley cats, and litters of puppies and litters of kittens. For more information on A.P.E. clinics, please visit their website at www.goape.info. Click on the link for "Spay and Neuter Clinics.” The license-plate funds will be used in several ways: to purchase and maintain clinic equipment and the mobile clinic unit, for community education materials, and for a voucher program to assist families with the cost of spaying and neutering using local veterinarians. |
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The Iowa “Spay & Neuter” License Plate. Driving Iowa Forward! |
