CLAY COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — With nearly 70 dogs and over 30 cats currently calling the Clay County Humane Society home, the shelter is looking forward to an upcoming expansion.
On the south side of the Clay County Humane Society sits a recently cleared piece of land. The property was donated to the shelter by a generous family who is said to love dogs. And with the help of more generous donors, a new kennel building will soon be built.
“We have raised over $350,000,” Amy Dierdorff, President of the Board of Directors for the Clay County Humane Society said. $100,000 came from an anonymous donor who made two $50,000 match pledges. $150,000 was recently awarded from the Clay County Commissioners and council in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
Dierdorff said the ARPA funds were a nice surprise. “It really got us to the point where we felt confident that we had the money available for the building and we could start with the concrete work, so we’ll be taking bids for that,” she said.
Toni Carter is Vice President of the Board, and she said the total cost of the facility was projected to be around $600,000 but they are getting the project re-bid for a more up to date cost. But as of now, she said they’ve got enough funds for the building and gates. But there is still more needed to be able to complete the project.
“We need a dog wash, we need a perimeter fence, we’re probably going to need some more concrete work back in the back,” Carter said.
And Dierdorff said the board has done their research on what the facility needs, including radiant heat. “It’ll cut down on the spread of disease, in the kennels themselves. It will also be a way we can make the kennels more efficient from a heating and cooling perspective. We’ll have a really nice ventilation system that was designed for that area.
The improvements will add an additional 6,000 square feet of space. 3,000 of which will be indoors.
Why is the new kennel a necessity?
“We’ve battled the weather conditions, whether it’s hot, cold, snow, sleet, hail. We’ve got ice out there, we’ve got frozen water, we’ve got cords going everywhere for heat lamps,” Carter said.
What will this mean to the animals waiting for the ‘fur-ever’ home?
“They’re going to have a much cleaner environment to live in,” Dierdorff said. “And from a quality-of-life perspective, it’s going to be so much nicer for them just to pick and choose when they can go out and when they can come in.”
The Clay County Humane Society plans to start construction this spring and hopes to open the kennel sometime this summer or fall.
To help them raise the rest of the needed funds Carter said you can become a sponsor. Sponsor levels are as follows:
- $5,000 – Sponsor a Kennel – a plaque will be affixed next to a specific kennel in the new building.
- $1,000 – Gold Sponsor – plaque on a shared wall in the lobby.
- $500 – Silver Sponsor – plaque on shared wall in the lobby
- $250 – Bronze Sponsor – plaque on shared all in lobby.
The Humane Society has a form for sponsors to fill out when donating.
They are also in need of more volunteers. For more information you can contact the shelter at 812-466-5126.
