MONROE - A new shelter for stray animals in Green County is now just months from breaking ground and more than two-thirds toward its fundraising goal.
The Green County Humane Society announced bids last week for land-preparation work on a 8.5-acre plot at the Pleasant View Complex just north of Monroe. The rectangular shelter here will replace the current, cramped facility near 17th Street and Wisconsin 69.
"We're hoping to break ground this spring. No later than May is the plan," said John Baumann, co-chair of the shelter's fundraising campaign. "Hopefully if we have an early spring, it'll be earlier rather than later."
The campaign has raised $650,000 so far, enough to "get our shovels out there and start digging," Baumann said. "We're in really good shape."
The full scope of the project is estimated at $900,000 to $1 million, with $850,000 set as the bare minimum to finish construction, he said.
Bids are due March 15 for site work, concrete work and a septic system. Plans and specifications will be available by appointment and a $25 fee starting March 1 at the office of architect Dave Haroldson, 830 W. 8th St.
More bids are in the pipeline, but for now the humane society is focusing on preliminary ground-breaking work.
"It's just the start of the construction phase," said Paul Barrett, president of the humane society board. "It's a step-by-step process."
The new shelter allows for 66 dog runs and 175 cat kennels, compared to the current shelter's capacity of 37 dogs and 150 cats. The Green County Humane Society, founded in 1978, has a 99-year, $1-per-year lease with the county for the land at Pleasant View.
Baumann said the capital campaign committee will be announcing donation options in the near future to give it a final push toward the goal, including a brick fundraiser and a matching pledge from a major donor.
The Green County Humane Society announced bids last week for land-preparation work on a 8.5-acre plot at the Pleasant View Complex just north of Monroe. The rectangular shelter here will replace the current, cramped facility near 17th Street and Wisconsin 69.
"We're hoping to break ground this spring. No later than May is the plan," said John Baumann, co-chair of the shelter's fundraising campaign. "Hopefully if we have an early spring, it'll be earlier rather than later."
The campaign has raised $650,000 so far, enough to "get our shovels out there and start digging," Baumann said. "We're in really good shape."
The full scope of the project is estimated at $900,000 to $1 million, with $850,000 set as the bare minimum to finish construction, he said.
Bids are due March 15 for site work, concrete work and a septic system. Plans and specifications will be available by appointment and a $25 fee starting March 1 at the office of architect Dave Haroldson, 830 W. 8th St.
More bids are in the pipeline, but for now the humane society is focusing on preliminary ground-breaking work.
"It's just the start of the construction phase," said Paul Barrett, president of the humane society board. "It's a step-by-step process."
The new shelter allows for 66 dog runs and 175 cat kennels, compared to the current shelter's capacity of 37 dogs and 150 cats. The Green County Humane Society, founded in 1978, has a 99-year, $1-per-year lease with the county for the land at Pleasant View.
Baumann said the capital campaign committee will be announcing donation options in the near future to give it a final push toward the goal, including a brick fundraiser and a matching pledge from a major donor.