Cost to remove church's unwanted prairie dogs higher than first estimated

TONIGHT WE VE LEARNED IT S GOING TO COST MORE THAN EXPECTED TO DEAL WITH A CONTROVERSIAL PRAIRIE DOG PROBLEM AT A NORTHEAST HEIGHTS CHURCH AS WE RE REPORTED CALVARY CHAPEL EAST WANTS TO ADD A PLAYGROUND AND SOCCER FIELD -- BUT ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS DON T WANT THE CHURCH TO BULLDOZE OVER THE PRAIRIE DOGS JEFF MAHER IS LIVE NEAR TRAMWAY AND INDIAN SCHOOL WITH THE NEW DETAILS JEFF THE PASTOR HERE AT CALVARY CHAPEL EAST SAYS HE WANTS TO MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY - AND HUMANELY REMOVE THE PRAIRIE DOGS THAT LIVE HERE PROBLEM IS -- THE CHURCH DOESN T HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT OFFICIALS WITH THE MAYOR S OFFICE ARE GOING TO HELP -- BUT THEY STILL THINK THE CHURCH NEEDS TO PONY UP SOME DOUGH TOMORROW MORNING EXPECT TO SEE A NEW ADDITION TO THE CITY S WEBSITE -- CALLING FOR PRIVATE DONATIONS TO BE MADE TO PRAIRIE DOG PALS THE MONEY WILL BE USED TO SAFELY REMOVE AN ESTIMATED 100 PRAIRIE DOGS THAT LIVE UNDERNEATH WHAT WILL SOON BECOME THE CHURCH S SOCCER FIELD IT COSTS ABOUT 75-DOLLARS TO REMOVE EACH PRAIRIE DOG SO -- THEY NEED TO RAISE ABOUT 7500-BUCKS THE PREVIOUS ESTIMATE WAS ABOUT FIVE THOUSAND I think there was a mis-portrayal in the fact that somehow we ve been annihilating all of these prairie dogs and we hadn t done anything PASTOR GARY COWAN SAYS EVER SINCE EYEWITNESS NEWS FOUR BROKE THE STORY THREE WEEKS AGO -- HE S BEEN INUNDATED WITH EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS FROM BOTH PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HELP WITH THE SITUATION COWAN SAYS THE CHURCH WANTS TO HELP TOO -- BUT MONEY S TIGHT BECAUSE ENROLLMENT HAS DROPPED THE CHURCH DIDN T EVEN HAVE THE FUNDING TO STRIPE ITS PARKING LOT -- SO WORKERS GOT A BUCKET OF WHITE PAINT AND DID IT THEMSELVES we want to do all we can to get along with our neighbors we re here to make a difference in a positive way CITY COUNCILOR DON HARRIS IS STEPPING IN TOO HE SAYS HE S GOING TO WORK WITH THE MAYOR S OFFICE TO FIND PRIVATE DONORS WHO CAN HELP WITH THE CASH FLOW ISSUES the mayor s office and I are going to be going to private individuals and getting them to donate money to the prairie dog pals probably or some non-profit and they will use that money for materials because there s a lot they need then they ll do a humane relocation project A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE MAYOR S OFFICE GAVE US THIS RESPONSE -- WE HOPE CALVARY CHURCH EAST STEPS UP TO THE PLATE TO HUMANELY REMOVE THE ANIMALS AS OTHER CHURCHES HAVE DONE IN THE PAST OTHERWISE WE WILL RELY ON THE GOODWILL OF THE CITIZENS OF ALBUQUERQUE AND OTHER FAITH-BASED GROUPS LIVE NEAR TRAMWAY AND INDIAN SCHOOL JEFF MAHER EYEWITNESS NEWS FOUR NO CHARGES WILL