Kona’s Coalition is temporarily discontinuing the Safe Haven foster program pending a review in the fall.

Safe Haven is designed to find foster homes for pets of people fleeing from domestic violence, according to Kona’s website. This program was rolled out three years ago.

Kona’s announced the decision on its Facebook page last Thursday.

With the group’s president out of the territory, no one was available Monday for an interview about the situation.

The post stated the program will be put on hiatus over the summer, with the board of directors looking to conduct a comprehensive program review.

“Until such a time as the board has an opportunity to review our ongoing logistical difficulties, we cannot continue the program,” the post read.

Kona’s detailed several of the logistical problems it been running into.

The organization has experienced difficulty finding suitable foster homes for Save Haven fosters.

Kona’s has found they are not able to screen people much in advance, which has made it harder to keep Safe Haven fosters in the foster pool.

Not all problems are rooted in operations, as they have had trouble with some clients.

Kona’s reports that there are clients abusing the program. According to the post, some pet owners have abandoned their pets once the animal has been turned over to Safe Haven.

Despite Kona’s best effort to contact the clients in question, several calls or emails go unanswered.

This silence can last for months on end. The abandoned animals put even more weight on the already-strained foster pool. This added burden is stressing the organization’s means.

“We are a very small board and our resources, time and energy are limited,” the post read.

The board is planning to meet sometime in the fall to conduct for the review.

The goal will be to determine if Kona’s is in a position to continue Safe Haven. The post details that the board will be taking this decision seriously.

The board understands that the program is important and a needed service in the community.

“We take the matter of the Safe Haven Program extremely seriously, as we understand the importance of giving families peace of mind as they are transitioning into a safer environment,” it stated.

Kona’s is directing that anyone needing the Safe Haven services to get in touch with the Humane Society Yukon.