QUESTION: Is the capital campaign over now that you have over $1.6 million in pledges?
ANSWER: No, the capital campaign is not over. The original campaign was for $2 million, which included a mortgage on the property. Extra costs, not included in the original plan, include land development, fencing, parking and landscaping needed to complete the project. Some of these costs are just now being derived.
We are grateful to every donor who has helped us achieve $1.6 million. Our goal is to be debt-free by the end of the capital campaign.
QUESTION: What is the Memorial Park?
ANSWER: HSLC is developing a portion of its campus as a “Memorial Park” – a place where visitors can memorialize their pets, visit with animals they are considering adopting or just relax while visiting the new shelter. Located on the eastern side of the parking lot as well as the lot behind the shelter, the park is comprised of multiple “zones,” each to be completed with trees and benches and “bubbler” irrigation systems to reduce water usage and ongoing maintenance. The park will also feature a “Memorial Wall” – to be filled with “bricks” or “tiles” honoring HSLC donors and their beloved pets or loved ones.
HSLC may add columbaria in the Memorial Park as well (places to inter pets’ ashes.)
Funds raised from “selling” trees, benches and tiles will go toward paying down our construction loan and thus completing our capital campaign.
QUESTION: When will the Memorial Park be designed and completed?
ANSWER: Now that construction of the shelter is complete, we are working hard at levelling the ground and clearing it of the multitude of small rocks so that the area can be surveyed. After that, we will know how many trees, benches and “zones” will be needed to complete the Memorial Park.
The park will be developed in “phases,” or zone-by-zone, as benches an trees are purchased by the public. Inaugural zones will be worked on through the Fall. The Memorial Wall will be constructed after Winter.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THE NEW SHELTER BUILDING:
NAME OF SHELTER: JAMES COOK ANIMAL SHELTER AND ADOPTION CENTER
ARCHITECTS: Stan and Amy Cape
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: William Cervantes Enterprises
SIZE OF CAMPUS: 3.7 Acres
SIZE OF FACILITY: 6,667 square feet, including an in-house spay-neuter clinic
- Meet and greet rooms for cats and dogs
- Ample separation of cats and dogs in the shelter
- Separation of intake and adoption areas
- Proper holding/quarantine areas for both dogs and cats
- State-of-the-art ventilation system
- Lots of natural light via skylights and windows
- Dog suites (not cages) with doors and windows, drastically reducing shelter noise
- Increased capacity – 32 more dogs and 10 more cats, compared to the old shelter
- Outdoor area for dogs and large areas for running
- Outdoor kennels in stray dog area
- In-house spay/neuter clinic
- Two veterinary days per week to tend to the animals. (All other emergencies will be taken to vet clinics.)
Already vastly improved adoption rates
