As its long-awaited animal shelter approaches completion, the Steele County Humane Society is seeking help to clear the final hurdle.
The humane society is hosting a fundraiser Sept. 7 at the Elks Lodge, calling community members and local animal lovers to raise the funds necessary to finish the shelter.
Without a shelter, the humane society is solely reliant on foster homes to house cats and dogs, but they've been looking to change that for years. According to President Liane Peterson, the humane society hopes to raise $25,000 to 30,000 at the upcoming event.
While work on the exterior of the building is almost done, the humane society still needs to raise funds to finish the interior of the building. They're hoping to get the shelter up and running soon, but the opening date of the shelter is dependent on how quickly they're able to raise the rest of the money.
"If somebody gave them a big check, we could probably be done by the end of the year," said builder Kurt Welker, of Welker Custom Homes.
He's been working with the humane society for years, and previously remodeled an animal shelter in Albert Lea.
When it's complete, the shelter will hold a maximum of 100 animals, including 30 to 40 dogs and 50 to 60 cats. The 7,000 square foot building will feature three separate heating and cooling systems for cats, dogs and common areas to prevent the spread of pathogens. Cats and dogs will be housed in different sections of the building, and also have separate laundry facilities.
The building has a storage area where additional kennels could be installed if the shelter needs to grow beyond the original vision. It will also include an adjoining "catio," or cat patio, for cats to roam in an outdoor enclosure.
The board members haven't been inside the building for some time, and are looking forward to getting a peek at their September meeting.
Currently, the humane society only has one part-time employee. Peterson said they'll need one or two full-time employees once the shelter is complete, as well as regular volunteers. The shelter's operating hours are yet to be determined.
The humane society launched a campaign to fund the project in 2022. Thus far, it has raised approximately $1.3 million, though the pandemic has caused delays and price increases throughout development.
During the fundraiser, the humane society will auction off a variety of prizes including purses, firearms, Gophers tickets and half hogs. Tickets for the event can be purchased from the Elks, Insty-Prints, the humane society's office or directly from board members.
Even as the humane society works to fund the shelter, it also has bills to pay. Peterson said their annual veterinary bills can run over $30,000.
She and Secretary Diane Nagel expressed their appreciation to the individuals and businesses that have come forward to make the shelter a reality.
Nagel noted that one man purchased the naming rights to a visitation room for $25,000 as a Christmas gift to his wife. When the shelter is open, the room will allow people to introduce their pets to a dog they want to adopt, to ensure they got along. The humane society still has a variety of naming rights available, ranging from dog kennels for $1,500 to brass paw prints displayed in the lobby for every donor who contributes $100.
Even when the shelter opens and they'll have the ability to care for more animals than ever before, the humane society will still have a need for foster homes, as some animals may fare better in a home than a shelter environment.
They'll also need to continue raising funds to keep the shelter running once its doors open. People can support the humane society by adopting animals through them, donating on their website via PayPal or mailing a check to their P.O. Box.
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