Editor’s Note: Following is a letter from Agriculture Commissioner Louis E. Petersen Jr., responding to recent community concerns about government funding for the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center.
Dear Editor,
Firstly, I express my heartfelt gratitude to the hardworking employees of all the animal welfare centers and shelters of the Virgin Islands of the United States. The purpose of this communication is to address the misinformation that is currently being circulated regarding the non-renewal of a contractual agreement between the Government of the Virgin Islands and the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center. Quite to the contrary, the Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture (VIDA) has been actively preparing to initiate the contractual agreement even prior to the commencement of the new fiscal year.
In particular, the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center has been in routine contact and communication with the VIDA since August 6, 2024. Through email exchanges, not only was the process for contract renewal explained, but the VIDA proactively requested all requisite corporate documents from the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center in preparation for contract renewal. Consequently, the draft Notice of Grant Award package inclusive of the cover letter and other pertinent information has long been prepared for transmittal to the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center for review and approval and subsequently to the Department of Property and Procurement for review and execution, pending the approved budget bill, release of funds from the Office of management and Budget and the encumberment of the funds by the VIDA. This is the same process that is followed each year. Unfortunately, as a part of the process, there is a delay of time between the ending of a contract and the execution of a new agreement. This is not an automatic transition.
At this stage, the VIDA remains prepared to initiate and transmit the contractual documents once the budget bill, approved by the 35th Legislature of the Virgin Islands, is signed by the Honorable Governor Albert Bryan, and funding is released by the Office of Management and Budget. The Bryan-Roach Administration supports the work being carried out by the animal welfare centers and shelters throughout the territory. Please be reassured that financial support will continue through renewed contractual agreements for all centers and shelters. Except for the change in fiscal years, there have been no other changes regarding our arrangements or intent to continue supporting the territory’s animal welfare centers and shelters.
We appreciate your commitment to the wellbeing of animals and the invaluable service that you provide to the territory. Thank you for your service, dedication and patience as we transition from one fiscal year to another.
Sincerely,
Agriculture Commissioner Louis E. Petersen Jr., Ph.D.
