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Humane Society seeks new building

2 min read
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A leaking roof, claustrophobic kennels and wishy-washy plumbing are just a handful of reasons why Washington Area Humane Society needs a new building, development director Lynette Vybiral said.

“The majority of this building was built in the 1950s, and we’ve spent $3,000 in just the past few weeks on patchwork repairs with our heating and cooling systems, our hot water tanks. The problem is we’ve done piecemeal repairs for so long, it’s to the point where pieces fall apart and problems come up at different times,” she said.

According to Vybiral, a private gift of more than six figures made a dent into the $5 million in funds the Humane Society hopes to raise ahead of breaking ground in the spring.

“The community has always been so generous to the shelter,” said general manager Laurelle Dick. “We feel confident that we will be able to raise the funds necessary to build this new facility.”

The building would be built on the same grounds as the current shelter site at 1527 Route 136 in Eighty Four.

“We will still proceed if we have the majority but not all of the funds needed,” Vybiral said.

Besides interrupting the cycle of constant utility repairs, Vybiral said the new shelter seeks to better accommodate community and animal needs.

“We’ll be getting a big, free-roaming area for cats, so they can enter their cages as they wish. Right now, they can come out to play, but have to be put back in their cages overnight. The new kennels will get more light and open space, making it more comfortable for potential adopters and the animals. There will be a large instruction area to allow for community programs and education, and the surgery suite will be expanded to allow for us to do more in-house surgeries so more people can get their pets spayed or neutered at low cost,” she said.

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