"We are doing everything we can to prevent getting to the point where we would have to turn away animals in need of medical care," said Trudi Burney, president of the board of directors for the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley, which takes in and rehabilitates wild animals from local cities. "That would be our ultimate last resort."

The center requested funds in the amount of $41,817 for the 2003­04 fiscal year from the Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority, of which only $36,781 was granted.

According to the animal control authority's executive director, Debra Biggs, it would not have been wise to allocate funds generously when the agency itself is undergoing cutbacks.

"We have to deal with the budget crunch in a prudent fashion," she said.

According to Biggs, the agency had to cut one full-time position and hold off on replacing equipment. She said these two factors alone would have cost the organization approximately $100,000.

With the center $5,036 short, Burney decided to take action. She has been active in requesting monetary support from the individual cities the center serves, including Saratoga, Campbell, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Cupertino and Los Gatos.

The funds requested from each city are calculated according to the number of animals received from that specific city and the services it gets. According to Burney, Saratoga accounts for approximately 7 percent of the total cases, which would work out to a $352.52 contribution.

Burney said that in 2002 there were 127 animal cases in Saratoga, and there have been more than 70 cases so far this year. She added that the center often treats fawns caught in fences and bobcats with puncture wounds.

Of these cities, only Saratoga has agreed to help supplement the cost of maintaining the center and its services. Council members Stan Bogosian, Norman Kline and Kathleen King voted in a June city council meeting to grant the requested $352.52. Mayor Nick Streit and Vice Mayor Ann Waltonsmith voted against it.

"The center offers valuable services to the community," said Bogosian. "It's important that it maintain the level of service it has provided in previous years—$352 is a reasonable request."

King added that contributing to the center would be a "good use of funds. A large percentage of Saratogans are environmentalists."

The center is currently operating under a $260,000 budget, a relatively low number considering that it shelters an average of more than 5,000 animals each year, according to Burney.

"We should have a budget of at least $500,000," she said. "That would increase our rate of release and would provide for an in-house veterinarian."

She alluded to centers in Walnut Creek and Marin, where budgets stand at over $500,000 and $800,000, respectively.

"All of our resources go toward caring for the animals," said Burney. "There's a lot more we'd like to do, such as build more animal enclosures, but the money will have to first go toward basic care, including food and medicine."

Burney said these expenses could be costly. The center spends an average of $35,000 a year on food and medicine combined, while another $41,000 is reserved for supplies and site maintenance. With a tight budget, Burney said the first thing that may have to go is the educational program provided for local schools. However, she said that because Saratoga has pitched in its fair share, the city would most likely not be affected.

She added that if funding continues to be a problem, the center will have to "reconsider more effective funding routes."