The Humane Society plans to more than triple the space of its current facility and will build a “needs-based” animal hospital to ensure all families can access veterinary care for their pets and a rehab center for animals recovering from abuse and cruelty, said Brian Weltge, president and CEO for the Humane Society of Greater Dayton.
The new center will be able to shelter abused animals that now have to be put in foster homes, such as horses, goats, pigs and sheep.
The Humane Society spays and neuters about 4,300 animals each year at its shelter, but the new facility will be able to handle up to 20,000 per year.
MORE: Humane Society wants to break ground for clinic on cat initiative by end of year
The society estimates there are about 50,000 free-roaming cats in Montgomery County, and only about 2.5 percent of them are spayed or neutered.
“This project will transform animal welfare in the Greater Dayton area and beyond,” Weltge said. “It has and will continue to be our mission to not only ensure animals are valued, but also to provide resources and access to medical care for our community.”
Next week, Dayton City Commission is expected to consider selling more than six acres along Danner Avenue to the Humane Society of Greater Dayton for $10. The parcels are north and east of the organization’s Nicholas Road property.
Since 2005, the Humane Society has leased part of adjacent city-owned property on Danner for use as a community dog park, according to a memo from Ford Weber, Dayton’s director of economic development.
The Humane Society wants to buy the leased property as well as a portion of city-owned land on the east side of Danner to use for additional parking, the memo says.
The site is believed to be part of an old rock quarry dating back to at least the early 1900s, which was used during the construction of the levee system in downtown Dayton, Weber said. The quarry was filled in around midcentury, and has been largely vacant since.
As a former landfill site, the city believes there is little value or development potential for the property, Ford said. “The city of Dayton is proud to offer our support to the Humane Society of Greater Dayton,” he said.
MORE: Humane Society, SICSA step up programs to deal with overpopulation.
The nonprofit plans a ceremonial groundbreaking by the end of the year, with construction getting under way next year and lasting about 12 months. It’s been raising building funds for several years.
The expansion is part of the organization's Community Cat Initiative, which sterilizes feral and stray cats to try to lower their populations. The Humane Society announced the project in late September, just months after the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center stopped accepting felines, citing an unhealthy environment and high euthanasia rates.
The Humane Society, a no-kill animal welfare agency, says euthanasia does not help control cat populations and the only real solution is to prevent outdoor kittens from being born through sterilization.
Under the program, stray or community cats are trapped, taken to the shelter for spaying or neutering and then are returned to the community once they recover from surgery. Sterilized cats have their left ears tipped to indicate they have been fixed.
The new facility also will have a needs-based, full-service animal hospital to give underserved community members access to wellness and medical care for their furry family members, Weltge said.
Fees for the services will be on sliding scale because all families and pets deserve access to high-quality veterinary care, he said.
“If someone makes almost no money, it’s probably going to be free, and for someone who makes a lot of money, it’s going to be normal cost,” he said. “It’s targeting people who need help with their pets but can’t get it.”
The goal is to prevent pet owners from having to put down their furry companions or relinquish them to a shelter because they cannot afford medical services.
The new facility also will have a animal rehab center to give proper shelter and care to animals that were seized owing to cruelty and neglect cases, Weltge said.
Right now, the Humane Society relies on foster families to house these animals. The new facility will have multi-purpose areas that can hold all kinds of domesticated animals. The organization investigated 400 cases of animal cruelty and neglect in 2018.
The hospital and spay and neuter clinic will be connected to the Humane Society’s current 6,400-square-foot building, while the rehab center is designed to be a separate building.
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