Animal-shelter donations jump

Animal-shelter donations jump
Kalamazoo Gazette
Saturday, February 17, 2007

By Chris Killian
Special to the Gazette

When Dorilee Schieble picked up the Kalamazoo Gazette last Sunday, the words and images illustrating conditions at the Kalamazoo County Animal Services and Enforcement shelter disturbed her.

``I was glued to it,'' she said. ``It made me and my family want to do something.''

A few days later, the Portage family made a donation of more than $100 to the Kalamazoo Humane Society, toward construction of a new, larger animal shelter that is proposed.

``It might be a drop in the bucket for some families, but it's big for us,'' she said. ``I've always wanted to do something like this for the shelter, and now was the time.''

The Schieble family's enthusiasm is seemingly shared by many.

Over the past week, numerous people have called the shelter and Humane Society, asking how they can help with donations of their time, money or pet supplies, according to shelter director Steve Lawrence.

A local veterinarian has offered to come to spay and neuter animals free of charge. At the end of each day, the jar at the shelter's front desk is full with donations -- about $50 worth.

Construction companies have been in contact, asking how they might help with building the proposed new shelter. Parents have called, saying their children want to help out at the facility.

Volunteers must be at least 17 years old, ``but that doesn't mean that kids can't organize a can drive at school if they want to help,'' Lawrence said.

In addition, more dogs were adopted in the past week than were dropped off as unwanted pets or strays, Lawrence said.

``We've been getting a lot of support,'' the shelter director said. ``It's still early, but there are bigger things to come, I think.''

He might be right.

In addition to several smaller donations, two individuals have donated $2,000 each the past week, Lawrence said. Another person pledged $10,000 to allow a feasibility study for the new facility to go forward.

Almost $30,000 of the study's $40,000 price tag has been raised so far. Once 50 percent of the approximately $6 million the new shelter is expected to cost has been raised, the official capital campaign will be announced.

``Just like building pyramids and the Great Wall of China, we're doing this just one step at a time,'' Lawrence said. ``People who didn't know we were planning a new shelter are excited.''

``The response I've got from people I've met with or who've called has been profound,'' Kalamazoo Humane Society Executive Director Aaron Winters said of the past week. ``It awakened an anger in some people who didn't know how bad the conditions were at the shelter, and they want to do something.''