Warrick Humane Society is growing, and now, its campus will, too.
The agency on Nov. 2 announced a $1.25-million capital campaign to build a new shelter at 5566 Vann Road, five lots away from its existing facility at 5722 Vann Road.
Executive Director Lindsey Hagedorn says $155,000 has been raised so far for the Building Hope Campaign, and that amount includes a substantial legacy donation. The same donor also gave land.
WHS’s current shelter is more than 25 years old.
“We have outgrown the space, and we are finding ourselves focusing a lot of money on maintenance, and not small maintenance projects,” Hagedorn says. “Currently, our kitchen is also our kitten room, so we can’t function properly.”
The agency needs more room for activities as well as animals, officials say. More than 50 animals currently are housed, and the shelter is at capacity.
With a larger shelter, “we would also be able to provide the community with more low-cost veterinary services,” Hagedorn says. “(It) would allow us to pull more cats and dogs from our partner shelters, resulting in more lives saved each year.”
“We also plan to have a larger conference area, which will allow us to provide more educational programs for the public, such as our Critter Camp and Junior Volunteer programs,” she adds.
WHS has increased its annual adoptions despite high maintenance costs at the current shelter, and the number would continue to grow in a new one, according to the agency.
Officials hope to build in 2024 and say the agency’s social media pages will have updates.
“A new facility would allow us to greatly benefit the lives of both animals and our community every day,” Hagedorn says.
