MONROE - The Green County Humane Society is sure it's not barking up the wrong tree.
The organization officially unveiled its plans for a new 13,824-square-foot animal shelter Wednesday and announced the launch of an $850,000 capital campaign to raise funds for it - with half the money in cash or pledges already gathered.
Four new contributions totaling $15,000 came in just before the announcement.
"Yes, indeed, we are going forward in a very public sense," said John Baumann, co-chairman of the fundraising campaign.
GCHS quietly started fundraising in June "to make sure there were enough significant donations ready to take the campaign forward," Baumann said. The objective was to announce the plans for a new shelter after the board was confident of the possibility to build.
The drive now is to expand the efforts to a countywide, all-inclusive campaign, reaching out to many individuals. The goal is to start building next summer. The new facility is being built with donations only.
The GCHS fundraising campaign is co-chaired by Baumann, president and CEO of Colony Brands, Inc., and Mike Sanders, CEO of Monroe Clinic and Hospital.
From working in the medical industry, Sanders said he knows an appropriate facility will help in the care and handling of stray animals, many of which come in sick or malnourished.
"Environment makes a big difference in healing," he said, noting the campaign theme, Building on Care and Compassion.
"With half the campaign funds gathered, we ask the public to join us in the coming months," he said.
The humane society has taken several steps toward its plans to build, including a building designed and septic system approved by the state, according to GCHS board President Paul Barrett.
A major hurdle, finding a suitable location for the new shelter, was cleared last year. The Green County Board of Supervisors approved a 99-year lease with GCHS in February 2010. For 8.5 acres at the Pleasant View Complex on Wisconsin 81, GCHS will pay $1 per year.
Having secured a large piece of the construction equation, GCHS turned to concentrating on raising funds for the shelter itself, Barrett said.
The new location allows for expansion, and the building design keeps expansion possibilities in mind as well.
"It has a beautiful view," Barrett said, "and plenty of room to roam and train until they (the animals) are ready for their forever homes."
The new building will include capacity for 66 dog runs and 175 cat runs; rooms for meeting adoptees and veterinary care; and a community education and multi-purpose center.
While the animal capacity increases about 28 percent and facility area by more than four times compared to the existing shelter, Barrett said projected operating costs will rise by about 20 percent.
An endowment fund is being put together to keep the shelter operable in the future, Baumann said.
"We're not in this just to see this shelter get built, but for the long haul - 10, 15, 20 years from now, because it means that much to us," he said.
Barrett said the GCHS board has been studying the viability of a new shelter for a number of years, to find the right long-term location and to research the county's animal-related current and future needs.
Sanders said the task force looked at the shelter's needs and options and at the society's priorities.
The design features a kitchen; night drop-off capabilities for police; isolation and semi-isolation areas for incoming or sick animals; in-floor heating; and solar tube lighting for natural daylight.
The facility is designed to be easier to sanitize, healthier for animals and more efficient for animal caretakers.
The current 3,100-square-foot facility houses up to 37 dogs and 150 cats. Sanders said the present site is deteriorated, noisy and crowded. Besides fighting mold and an unreliable heating and air-conditioning systems, staff and volunteers have little space to work with the animals or visitors.
Each year, GCHS takes in more than 500 cats and dogs, including strays, special needs animals and animals suffering from abuse and neglect.
The no-kill shelter, with a 84 percent placement rate, operates on an annual budget of about $241,000. The society receives about $47,000 from the county and $15,000 from the city of Monroe for animal control services annually. Municipalities, not the county, are responsible by law for maintaining stray animals, according to Green County Clerk Mike Doyle.
More information is available at www.greencountyhumane.org.
The organization officially unveiled its plans for a new 13,824-square-foot animal shelter Wednesday and announced the launch of an $850,000 capital campaign to raise funds for it - with half the money in cash or pledges already gathered.
Four new contributions totaling $15,000 came in just before the announcement.
"Yes, indeed, we are going forward in a very public sense," said John Baumann, co-chairman of the fundraising campaign.
GCHS quietly started fundraising in June "to make sure there were enough significant donations ready to take the campaign forward," Baumann said. The objective was to announce the plans for a new shelter after the board was confident of the possibility to build.
The drive now is to expand the efforts to a countywide, all-inclusive campaign, reaching out to many individuals. The goal is to start building next summer. The new facility is being built with donations only.
The GCHS fundraising campaign is co-chaired by Baumann, president and CEO of Colony Brands, Inc., and Mike Sanders, CEO of Monroe Clinic and Hospital.
From working in the medical industry, Sanders said he knows an appropriate facility will help in the care and handling of stray animals, many of which come in sick or malnourished.
"Environment makes a big difference in healing," he said, noting the campaign theme, Building on Care and Compassion.
"With half the campaign funds gathered, we ask the public to join us in the coming months," he said.
The humane society has taken several steps toward its plans to build, including a building designed and septic system approved by the state, according to GCHS board President Paul Barrett.
A major hurdle, finding a suitable location for the new shelter, was cleared last year. The Green County Board of Supervisors approved a 99-year lease with GCHS in February 2010. For 8.5 acres at the Pleasant View Complex on Wisconsin 81, GCHS will pay $1 per year.
Having secured a large piece of the construction equation, GCHS turned to concentrating on raising funds for the shelter itself, Barrett said.
The new location allows for expansion, and the building design keeps expansion possibilities in mind as well.
"It has a beautiful view," Barrett said, "and plenty of room to roam and train until they (the animals) are ready for their forever homes."
The new building will include capacity for 66 dog runs and 175 cat runs; rooms for meeting adoptees and veterinary care; and a community education and multi-purpose center.
While the animal capacity increases about 28 percent and facility area by more than four times compared to the existing shelter, Barrett said projected operating costs will rise by about 20 percent.
An endowment fund is being put together to keep the shelter operable in the future, Baumann said.
"We're not in this just to see this shelter get built, but for the long haul - 10, 15, 20 years from now, because it means that much to us," he said.
Barrett said the GCHS board has been studying the viability of a new shelter for a number of years, to find the right long-term location and to research the county's animal-related current and future needs.
Sanders said the task force looked at the shelter's needs and options and at the society's priorities.
The design features a kitchen; night drop-off capabilities for police; isolation and semi-isolation areas for incoming or sick animals; in-floor heating; and solar tube lighting for natural daylight.
The facility is designed to be easier to sanitize, healthier for animals and more efficient for animal caretakers.
The current 3,100-square-foot facility houses up to 37 dogs and 150 cats. Sanders said the present site is deteriorated, noisy and crowded. Besides fighting mold and an unreliable heating and air-conditioning systems, staff and volunteers have little space to work with the animals or visitors.
Each year, GCHS takes in more than 500 cats and dogs, including strays, special needs animals and animals suffering from abuse and neglect.
The no-kill shelter, with a 84 percent placement rate, operates on an annual budget of about $241,000. The society receives about $47,000 from the county and $15,000 from the city of Monroe for animal control services annually. Municipalities, not the county, are responsible by law for maintaining stray animals, according to Green County Clerk Mike Doyle.
More information is available at www.greencountyhumane.org.