Humane society expanding

A new addition that will allow space for new arrivals, classes, clinics and events at the Springfield Humane Society is nearly complete, with a grand opening scheduled for March.


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2017-02-16 / Front Page Humane society expanding Addition to welcome new arrivals nearing completion By TORY JONES toryb@eagletimes.com Springfield Humane Society Executive Director Anne Eddy holds Coco, a 5-year old female, on Thursday, Feb. 16 in the new addition to SHS, under construction now, that will include a community room and new arrivals room. — TORY JONES Springfield Humane Society Executive Director Anne Eddy holds Coco, a 5-year old female, on Thursday, Feb. 16 in the new addition to SHS, under construction now, that will include a community room and new arrivals room. — TORY JONES SPRINGFIELD — A new addition that will allow space for new arrivals, classes, clinics and events at the Springfield Humane Society is nearly complete, with a grand opening scheduled for March. The addition will include a Community Room and a New Arrivals room. In the new Community Room, the shelter will welcome guest lecturers and birthday party groups, and will host vaccine and low-cost spay-and-neuter clinics, along with community education classes on proper pet care and dog training, according to Executive Director Anne Eddy. “The biggest thing is to involve the community more,” Eddy said on Thursday, Feb. 16, in her office accompanied by Coco, 5, and Scotty, 12, two small dogs up for adoption. The New Arrivals room will be a larger space to accommodate the intake of cats at the shelter. The humane society is close to finishing the new addition, begun in the fall. The addition is Phase 2 of a two-part plan to renovate the shelter, and is the last of three separate projects in the past three-and-a-half years, Eddy said. In the last two years, projects have included a new kitchen, built to meet the shelter’s needs, and new upper and lower kennels for dogs staying at SHS. “Each step of the way, we’ve raised money for it,” Eddy said. Funding for projects has come from humane society fundraisers and donations from individuals, including a recent $10,000 donation. The shelter also received a $10,000 grant toward the community room from Maddie’s Fund, a family foundation that awards grants for increased community lifesaving, shelter medicine education and pet adoptions across the U.S. The humane society always takes local animals first, but when space allows, they sometimes accept dogs or cats from other states. The shelter also raises funds through its “Wag Sales,” which are volunteer-run and brought in nearly $10,000 last year, with all proceeds going to the shelter. Eddy has also been recently awarded a $5,000 grant to attend an online Animal Behavior College (ABC) program to become a certified dog trainer, and will have a local mentor, she said. The New Arrivals Room, with a built-in exam room and connector hall space, will be 18-by-24 feet. The facility had been giving exams during the intake process in a small, closet-sized exam room that doubled as a supply closet, so this will be a welcome improvement, Eddy said. The community room will 22-by-40 feet, according to the Springfield-based independent contractors who were at work on the project on Thursday. The new addition was initially budgeted at $230,000, but is coming in under budget, Eddy said. “Right now, our new arrivals room is kind of small,” Eddy said. “Sometimes, we’ve had to say, ‘There’s no room at the inn.’” At the moment, the shelter has no cats available for adoption, but usually does have cats awaiting homes. When cats first enter the shelter, going forward, they will stay in the New Arrivals room for two weeks as they are assessed by a veterinarian to ensure they are healthy and have all medical care before they are moved to the adoption floor at the shelter. The facility has a variety of features that make the shelter feel like a welcoming space. Some were installed by Eddy’s predecessor, such as cat walkways around the ceiling, and sunny window seats. Others have been improvements since she took the executive director position more than three years ago. “Sun tubes” in the shelter’s ceiling allow natural light to filter in. Rooms are painted blue, which is a calming color for the shelter’s residents, and the facility has aromatherapy with medical-grade essential oils, and a veterinarian-designed music therapy program to reduce stress. “Lots of people don’t want to come, because they think it’s so sad,” Eddy said. “It’s not sad. Come on up, have a party in our room!” The shelter has community cat rooms, including one that is indoor / outdoor with a fenced-in roof, grass and shade, and tree branches to climb. It also has a room for kittens and a room for indoor-only cats, all with room to walk and play. “A lot of thought went into what would be best for the cats while they were waiting,” Eddy said. “So we thought, ‘What would be best for the dogs?’” The humane society has 22 dogs available for adoption right now, staying in both kennels and in the Puppy Room, due to a recent acquisition of dogs from a Virginia animal shelter. The Springfield facility has three outdoor exercise yards for dogs, three puppy rooms, and offers rehoming services for individuals who need to house pets as they seek safer living conditions. The shelter also has volunteers who come in daily to help walk, play with, and care for the animals staying there. A grand opening for the new addition is planned for Friday, March 24, and will include “lots of food” and a tour of the shelter, Eddy said. It will coincide with the humane society’s Heat the Shelter Raffle draw, in which people can purchase tickets up to that day, and can win 50-60 prizes. For more information, visit www.spfldhumane.org or call (802) 885-3997.