Humane Society soon will have new shelter

More local dogs and cats will have a better chance at finding a home, thanks to a new shelter at the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri.

"This is something that we have worked hard for and dreamt of for a very, very long time," the Humane Society's Holly Godwin said.

Ground will be broken on a new main building next year, the Humane Society announced Tuesday morning, though Godwin didn't have an exact start date. The new building will sit on the same property as the current facility on Boutin Drive.

Godwin said a longtime anonymous supporter of the Humane Society recently told the shelter they were willing to match donations up to $50,000. The local Humane Society's website says the shelter is not funded by the government or the Humane Society of the United States.

"And we had a couple of memorial gifts and stuff, so now's the time to do it," Godwin said.

Oscar, a 2-year-old boxer mix and a Pups 4 Parole graduate, greets potential new families Tuesday at the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri. (Laura Simon)

The specifics, such as where on the property the building will sit and how many square feet it will be, are being ironed out. But Godwin said there will be more kennels, which will be designed so a stay at the shelter is less stressful on animals.

"We want to make this new building a much more hygienic building, to where the kennels will each ... be their own little environment," Godwin said, adding it also will cut down on the possibility of disease transmission.

"So we are going to increase kennel size, and we will have some larger kennels that will be a much more conducive and relaxing environment for the dogs that will take a while to place."

Godwin said the main office will be in the new building. In addition, they hope to include adoption rooms for people to visit with pets before deciding which one to adopt.

"Ideally, we'll have some adoption rooms where people can sit in kind of a houselike environment with their dog ... and just get a feel for what they'll be like in a home environment."

Tavie, an 11-month-old Border collie and a Pups 4 Parole graduate, greets potential new families Tuesday at the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri. (Laura Simon)

The current building was built over 50 years ago as a grooming facility, Godwin said, and never was intended to house animals for an extended time.

"On average we take in 10 animals a day, and this was never meant to be able to take that much in," Godwin said. The building will remain in use as a holding facility for strays and animals staff suspect may be ill, Godwin said.

"When we get a stray dog in, we hold it for five days," Godwin said. Holding strays in the current building will allow the Humane Society to have more free space in the new building for dogs that are ready to be adopted.

Thanks to the additional space the new shelter will provide, fewer animals will have to be euthanized, Godwin said.

"This is our first step in becoming a low-kill facility," Godwin said. "It means that we won't have to euthanize for space."

Fluff Daddy, a 1-year-old cat, leans against his toy Tuesday at the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri. (Laura Simon)

At low-kill shelters, animals are euthanized if they are sick or injured beyond medical treatment; the cost of medical treatment outweighs the likelihood of adoption; or if they are unadoptable or suffering because of severe kennel stress, according to information provided by Godwin. Low-kill shelters do not limit the amount of time an animal can stay.

Godwin said some animals simply take longer to be adopted.

"By providing them a good, relaxing environment during that time, then we can still get them placed," she said.

Plans for the new building will not affect the intensive-care unit being built by Southeast Missouri State University construction management students.

"The ICU is still going to be a very, very valued thing," Godwin said, "because the separate laundry, the separate air supply is still going to be just a wonderful thing for us. Because even with the new facility, if they were in the same building, it's going to be a shared air supply, and this'll just be the best way to keep from disease transmission. So we're still all-in on that ICU."

kwebster@semissourian

(573) 388-3646

Pertinent address:

2536 Boutin Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO