Weyburn Humane Society board members came together this morning for a ground-breaking at the site of the future new Animal Shelter, which will be two buildings designed to provide a safe, welcoming, and compassionate space for homeless and neglected animals in our community, with a priority on animal health, sustainability, and a welcoming experience for adopters and visitors alike.
"We are really excited to start building a new shelter this year," said Board Chair Bev Paul. "It's been many years of fundraising from a very dedicated, caring community that will finally see this happen. The site is at 1810 East Avenue and, as we speak, it is being prepped for construction to begin."
She said the first phase is the post-frame dog run building, which is set to be up this month, with the exterior completed and work beginning inside by this fall. It is a 4,200 square foot structure to accommodate 16 dogs in separate kennels. It will be an unheated, outside space for nicer days. The contract has been awarded to Wood Country Building Services from McLean, SK, a company that also has an office in Estevan.
The second phase is the 4,300 square foot main shelter building, which will include inside dog kennels, a dog wash area, and cat rooms including a play room, as well as rooms for storage and laundry, with two washrooms, an administration room, a meeting room, and a garage. There will also be a space for outside cat runs.
"That will begin construction this fall. They will get the pilings put in and then the cement pad, and then it can be worked on over the fall and winter, and hopefully to be completed by the summer of next year."
Throughout recent years, different options were considered, including the main shelter also being a pole building.
"That's okay for the dog run building because it's not going to be heated, it's just to keep the dogs in on nicer days, but just to build the main shelter, it was more economical and just more feasible to go with what they call a 'stick building'," she explained.
To make this new build a reality, the Weyburn Humane Society has spent many years fundraising for this new shelter, receiving generous donations toward the building fund from dedicated volunteers, sponsors, businesses and contractors, board members past and present, memorials or estate charitable bequests, and a caring community.
"Because of all the donations and the fundraising, that money was earmarked, you had a choice to say, 'okay, I want this to go to the building fund'. So, because they've been doing this for, I believe, about 13 years, there is enough money there to get the buildings up. We're still, of course, looking for donations or sponsors to finish the inside because that's going to be a major cost as well," shared Paul.
She said operating costs will also increase due to the size of the new shelter.
"So we're always going to be looking for donations to help, and they'll be doing lots of fundraising too, to keep things going. We'll probably need more staff, I would think, unless volunteers are coming and helping out with various duties inside the new shelter, because it's a bigger space."
Paul said the tender for the main building will be going out once they are at that stage, but they have also received promised support for various aspects of the project.
"We've already had that commitment from a lot of the local businesses, and they're willing to come in and maybe charge a little bit, but the rest would be for a tax-deductible receipt, which we're quite willing to do. So all that helps for sure."
The Weyburn Humane Society gave special mention to Kevin Melle and Mel Van Betuw, Project Coordinators, and Brandon Schatz, P.Eng. at Dimension Design & Consulting.
"We could not have done it without their guidance, knowledge, and expertise. Our gratitude goes out to everyone that has helped in any way to make the dream of a new shelter come true."
Paul added that this new shelter is not just a building.
"It will be a promise to our community's animals that they will be cared for, protected, and loved as they wait to find their 'furever' homes. We are creating a space where hope begins for every pet who comes through our doors."
Gallery photos courtesy of Brandon Schatz, P.Tech., with Dimension Design & Consulting, show the rendering of the buildings: