GREENE COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — In an effort to construct a new, state-of-the-art animal shelter facility, the Greene County Humane Society has launched a capital fundraising campaign with two events.
According to a release from the Greene County Humane Society, the planning for the modern shelter started in 2020 and “included a Needs Assessment Study conducted by Shelter Planners of America (SPA).” The study showed that the humane society needed an updated facility.
The GCHS settled on design plans and reported that the estimated cost of the new shelter would be $2,500,000 and that the funds will cover the basics and ensure a long-lasting shelter, “designed to last at least 40 years without major modifications or renovations.”
To begin the fundraising efforts, GCHS has announced two events. The organization will hold an online auction that will run until January 21 at 10:00 p.m. and will include multiple prizes such as Holiday World tickets, St. Louis Cardinal tickets with a hotel stay, gift certificates to local businesses, zoo passes, and plenty more. The release notes that the auction currently features 36 items with a few more planned to be added throughout the remaining time in the auction.
“We were so amazed at the response from the community when asked to make donations to the auction. We are excited to see the response as bidding gets underway,” GCHS Board Vice President Cristy Phipps said.
The second fundraising event is a 2024 photo calendar that features first responders from the Linton Fire and Police Departments taking photos with the shelter animals.
“Everything came together just right to create a very unique to Greene County calendar,” GCHS Board Member Patti Danner said.
The calendars can also be bought at the Greene County Humane Society, as well as local businesses. Pre-orders can be made online here.
The new facility will be built alongside the current building near the GCHS Waggin’ Tails Trail. The release notes that the original shelter was built in 1989 and had an addition in 1996. While the building has served the community for 35 years, its limitations were underlined in the SPA study, including lack of space, outdated materials, and more.
The release also mentions that GCHS expects the new facility to be a nice place for adoption and will have an outdoor feature that is open to the public and will complement the organization’s existing trails.
“The new building will feature a sidewalk around the entire perimeter of the building that will be open to the public to walk for exercise or to look in and see the animals. It will also feature a brick-paved memorial pathway along the lake that will be made of commemorative bricks to be sold as a fundraiser for the new building. The path is planned to be handicap accessible and will feature lights, benches, and picnic areas.”
Greene County Humane Society Release
“We really are looking forward to what it can offer for the community and how it will allow us to expand our efforts further. We envision that by having a more inviting facility that is enjoyable to visit, we can attract more adopters and be able to reduce the amount of time that it takes to find an animal a forever home, allowing us to help even more animals,” GCHS Kegan Inman Board President said.
For more information on the new building, fundraising campaign, or to make a donation, please visit the Greene County Humane Society’s New Building webpage.
