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State Representative Pat Garofalo
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-1069
For more information contact: Jodi Boyne 651-296-0640
NEWS RELEASE
Representative Garofalo Offers Bill to Assist Animal Shelters
ST. PAUL -- State Representative Pat Garofalo (R-Lakeville), flanked by animal shelter workers and some of the pets they aim to save, offered legislation to shut down an unfair tax burden imposed on animal shelters. Under current law, animal shelters that are classified as nonprofit organizations are levied sales taxes when asking for donations. The bill by Rep. Garofalo to change that was heard today by the House Tax Committee.
“This is a win – win situation. Animal Shelters provide a valuable public service by keeping animals from running wild in the streets. They also help save neglected and abused animals by finding them new families that will enjoy and care for them,” said Representative Pat Garofalo
“They perform a vital service to our state at no cost to the taxpayer. At the end of the day, volunteers should not be stuck with a tax bill.” The backers of the legislation include Last Hope, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping unwanted, abandoned and homeless animals. The organization has successfully placed over 31,000 animals since 1985. Bev Orr, the founder and president of Last Hope, and Sandra Shirley a volunteer with the organization, testified before the committee in support of the proposed legislation. The pair arrived carrying a 7 1/2 week old Brittney lab mix, appropriately named Brittney, and Decker a 15 year old Papillon. Both dogs were success stories of the group.
“This bill would allow us to devote our limited money to save more animals like Brittney and Decker,” said Orr. “We receive no state funding, no salaries or reimbursements, so the money we raise is intended to be devoted to our core mission of shelter, medical care, and spaying and neutering of animals.”
The bill was laid over for future consideration by the tax committee in a hearing on Tuesday.
Last Hope can be reached at mail@last-hope.org or 651-463-8747 or by mail at PO Box 114 Farmington, MN 55024. Their website is www.last–hope.org
Rep. Garofalo encourages constituents to contact him with questions. He can be reached at rep.pat.garofalo@house.mn or (651) 296-1069. Mail should be sent to: Rep. Pat Garofalo, 221 State Office Building, 100 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.
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