Point-Interface changes hands

With the Point Roberts Animal Wellbeing Society (PAWS) in transition due to changes in leadership, Point Interface administrator Al Conahan has taken over the community electronic information service as a private enterprise.

In a March 21 letter to PAWS founder Carol Fuegi, who has given up an active role in the organization for health reasons, Conahan outlined decisions he states were agreed to in a March 18 phone call. “We discussed that you want to turn over the responsibility to me of running and managing the email service known as Point Interface to run as my own as I see fit,” he wrote. Fuegi was not available to confirm the discussion or her consent to the transfer.

References to PAWS were removed from Point Interface emails as of March 25, and the “click to donate” button replaced with a “click to pay” button.

Fuegi founded PAWS over a decade ago with longtime kitten-rescuer Wilma Donaldson and started Point Interface to raise funds for the organization’s efforts to help local animals. Over the years the group has helped local families with veterinarian bills, collaborated with vets on spay/neuter programs, helped reunite lost dogs with their families and found homes for dozens of kittens.

The organization was registered with the secretary of state as a nonprofit corporation in 2007. It was placed on inactive status by the state in December 2017.

Conahan took over as administrator of Point Interface three years ago. Fuegi, he said, wanted to focus on animals and not be “troubled with chasing people for money.” While Point Interface users have been asked to make a donation to PAWS for using the service, Conahan said many did not and others only made minimal contributions.

“I will operate P-I as a sole proprietorship,” Conahan said. “I’ve made a few improvements and will be launching a website shortly. I will continue to provide the community with information vital to the area.” He said he is in the process of having all Point Interface accounts separated from PAWS accounts.