Senator Carrion Refutes Animal Welfare Center's Funding Claims, Confirms $225K Restored in FY25 Budget

Senator Samuel Carrion has expressed disbelief at recent claims made by the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center (SCAWC), which stated that the organization would no longer be able to accept unwanted animals or continue its spay/neuter program due to a lack of government funding. The SCAWC’s statement, which indicated that $225,000 in total government funding had not been renewed, has prompted confusion and concern, as Carrion asserts that the funding in question has indeed been restored in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget. In an interview with the Consortium on Friday night, Senator Carrion said the statement from the animal welfare organization was inaccurate, explaining that while the V.I. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) had initially proposed a decrease in the center’s funding, he had successfully advocated for the full amount of $225,000 — $175,000 for the shelter’s operations and $50,000 for its spay/neuter program — to be reinstated. “The government, through the Office of Manageme...