Society readies campaign for new animal shelter Kalamazoo Gazette Sunday

Society readies campaign for new animal shelter
Kalamazoo Gazette
Sunday, February 11, 2007

By Chris Killian
Special to the Gazette

Two years after launching a capital campaign to raise nearly $6 million to build a new animal shelter in Kalamazoo, less than 1 percent of the funds have been collected.

But Kalamazoo Humane Society officials, who are coordinating fundraising and would own the new shelter, hope they can kick-start contributions after completing a study to determine the willingness of the public to financially support an expanded facility.

``We need to find out if there is public support for this, but I expect there is,'' Kalamazoo Humane Society Executive Director Aaron Winters said. ``People want to live in a community that treats its animals well.''

Officials plan to pay California-based consulting firm Shelter Planners of America $40,000 to conduct the feasibility study. The Humane Society has raised $30,000 of the cost so far and expects the study to commence in the next few months.

The initial goal would be to have the firm contact wealthy people in the county to see whether they would make large donations to kick-start public support. Area foundations and companies would also be contacted, Winters said, but it's expected the bulk of the money would come from private individuals. Public donations would continue to be solicited.

The current county-owned shelter on Lake Street opened in 1984. Workers say the building is obsolete and has ventilation problems and that the animal cages are too few and too small.

The 8,000-square-foot building has a capacity to hold 67 dogs and 53 cats at one time, but with more than 5,000 animals going through the facility each year, workers say more space is needed. The shelter only accepts animals from Kalamazoo County.

A recent needs assessment concluded that, based on the county's demographics and animal population, a facility totaling 27,000 square feet would be necessary, Winters said. A new facility should have cage space for 300 to 400 animals, along with an on-site veterinarian, open space for dogs to run, areas for obedience training and office space for adoption programs. An on-site pet store would help offset operating costs.

Another advantage of a new shelter is that it would house several private nonprofit groups that work with animals. The Kalamazoo Humane Society would own the facility because it is a nonprofit organization and has name recognition, making it the best agency to take the lead, Winters said. In addition to the county's animal services division, the Humane Society would rent space to Kalamazoo Animal Rescue, a private nonprofit agency, and the Kalamazoo Dog Training Club.

``We'll all be separate but be working together,'' said Val Gearhart, assistant director for county animal services. ``It will be nice to have everything under one roof.''

It's still uncertain, Winters said, what financial support the county may provide for a new facility.

The humane society has been looking at land south of Interstate 94 between Portage and Sprinkle roads as a potential site for the building. After half of the nearly $6 million is raised, which officials hope will be achieved in two years, the project's go-ahead would be officially announced and ground could be broken.

``We need to replace that facility, and the time is now,'' Winters said.