Special thanks to everyone who donated toward the building project, including major donors Gary and Kim Cotter!
Finally, an update! We spent the last few months of 2010 in a frenzy of activity, and now have the office/dog kennel building set up; we started housing dogs on site in September 2010, with the dedicated help of fantastic volunteers who handle a morning shift, an evening shift, and random afternoon dog-walkings. The new building has helped us reunite more stray dogs with their owners, too!
The second cat building is now complete and ready for new kitties... with kitten season approaching fast, we know the cat population at the shelter is bound to explode. The kitties live loose in their assigned rooms, but often enjoy relaxing inside their open-door playpens!
We could not have accomplished this much without the phenomenal support of the Cats of Microsoft calendar - organized by cat-loving Microsoft employees, for the benefit of our shelter for the past 3 years - and the matching funds donated by Microsoft. The comfortable, sanitary privacy dog kennel system was funded by Petco Foundation, and has proven to be a great temporary home for dogs from 5 pounds to 100 pounds.
There is still much to be done - we need a doggy bath (especially for the strays, who often come in matted and very stinky - once we can get them cleaned up, they feel SO much better). We also need an ADA-approved parking pad, a state requirement even way out here. Our biggest remaining project is installing a secure fencing and kennel run system, so the dogs can get some much-needed off-leash play time in a secure environment. With your help, we can do it!
New volunteers are always welcome, whether you can give an hour a month or two days a week - no amount of time spent with the pets is too little, as our volunteers are the primary comforters, groomers, socializers, and caregivers for all our pets until they finally go to their forever homes. They are *always* happy to see you!
Here are some scenes from around the shelter in January 2011:
As of 8/16/10: Second cat building has begun!
July 2010 - The first Microsoft Meow Manor two-room cat house is up and running (and the kitties love the enclosed porches and all the fun furniture!)
June 24, 2010 - Our fabulous volunteer crew unloaded a truck full of kennel pieces, the start of our wonderful indoor dog kennel system funded by PETCO Foundation! Unfortunately, it needs assembly....
As of 5/3/10: Cat building rooms are getting final touches, including climbing shelves and flooring.
4/7/10: Dog building has walls!!
as of 1/7/10: Interior plumbing has begun; next is heating/ductwork, then electric, all of which are fully funded! All that is left to fund are the dog kennel system (expensive, about $25,000) and the interior fixtures like sinks, toilet, water heater, furnace, dog bath and grooming station, all the little bits and pieces to pull it together into a complete shelter!
Here are photos of the plumbing in the dog building:
and LOOK, the lights are on in one half of the cat building!
as of 12/23/09:
DOG AND OFFICE BUILDING - interior walls going in:
CAT BUILDING: interior walls pretty much finished, both sides:
as of 11/10/09:
The smaller building, which we are calling our Microsoft Meow Manor, is a duplex "cat house" where the adoptable cats can enjoy a life of comfort inside their climate-controlled apartments, and will be able to enjoy the summer breezes on the soon to be completed screened porches. The two halves of the building are completely separate, and each side can comfortable hold at least 6 adult cats or a bazillion kittens (OK, probably more than 24 at once would be insanity). This building was entirely funded by generous donations from cat-loving Microsoft employees, and Microsoft matching funds. Here's how it looked at the beginning of October:
The Cats of Microsoft 2009 fundraising calendar was such a huge success, they are doing it again for 2010 - and we hope to build Meow Manor #2 in the spring!
The larger building is our combination dog kennel building and office space. We have already funded the infrastructure (septic, water, electric to the building, floor, walls and roof). We now need to raise approximately $35,000 to finish the interior with dividing walls, electric and plumbing, heating and cooling system, comfortable privacy kennels, sinks and other appliances, ADA-required bathroom facilities (no, the dogs don't get to use those), doggy bathtub (no, the humans don't get to use that), and all the comforts of home for the doggies. When completed, this building should be able to hold between 10-20 adult dogs, or up to 18 adult dogs and a litter or two of puppies, or up to 10 adult dogs and 5 litters of puppies, or... you get the idea. This is how it looked just one month ago:
Can you help with that last $35,000? If 1000 of you who are reading this gave just $35, we'd achieve our goals! (Or 10 of you could each give $3500 - ha).