New Shelter Campaign

IT’S ON THE WAY!

At long last, construction of the NEW Marshall Pet Adoption Center is in progress!

Architect Billy Ballow and Barry & Clay Construction were awarded the contract at a fixed price of $1,599,974, with completion estimated at the end of May, 2021. You can watch the progress yourself as the facility goes up, next to Marshall Junior High School on East Travis Street.

WILL YOU JOIN US IN MAKING THIS DREAM A REALITY?

We made a large commitment to fundraising for this project because it’s important to build a facility we can all take pride in. We want it to represent a giant step forward for Marshall and Harrison County.

By partnering with the city and county, we can help ensure that the thousands of dogs and cats taken in annually will have a much better chance at being adopted. Simultaneously, thousands of animals will be spayed or neutered onsite, thereby tackling the single most critical issue underlying our homeless animal problem.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

The citizens of Marshall and Harrison County love their pets and are concerned about the welfare of animals in our area. We know that you will want to be associated with this endeavor.

We have waited decades for this opportunity, and now is the time to act. We need your generous donation in order to reach our goal of $450,000.

We encourage you to consider the naming opportunities listed below. We have tried to make it possible for everyone to have a name memorialized at the new facility. A plaque with your name will be prominently displayed near the room or space you have chosen.

Download Printable donation form

Frequently Asked Questions

The average age of an animal shelter in the U.S. is 15 years. Our current shelter is 52. It does not meet state standards and cannot be effectively renovated due to its deteriorated condition and small space. On average 2500 animals pass through our 1500 square foot shelter annually. The majority of those animals are euthanized within days of arrival. How animals are treated in a community says a lot about the character of its citizens. A new low kill shelter will bring Marshall up to the standards of our neighboring municipalities with whom we compete for attracting new citizens, new business, and economic development to our community.

Designed to withstand the rigors of housing thousands of pets, animal shelters and adoption centers are more expensive to build than comparable commercial or residential buildings. This is because most animals that come into shelters were never vaccinated or properly cared for. Therefore, they are either infected with communicable diseases or more susceptible to catching them. Many of these diseases, such as parvo (dogs) and panleukopenia (cats) are deadly and cannot be cured.

To prevent this, an animal shelter must be built with highly specialized features. These include the following:

• Separate HVAC systems to prevent the spread of airborne diseases
• Plumbing that can handle the waste of dozens of animals
• Seamless, disease-resistant flooring and walls that will not harbor deadly diseases
• Individual, sanitary kennels and cages
• Properly equipped veterinary facilities for shelter animals and spay/neuter surgeries
• Sealed-off isolation rooms for the treatment and healing of sick animals and the quarantining of suspected rabies cases

Building an animal shelter is more like building a hospital than a house.

A larger facility will allow more time to prepare animals for adoption. It will also allow volunteers to assist city staff in reaching out to individuals, other shelters and other adoption and rescue organizations to locate homes for shelter animals. Many parts of the country are asking for shelter animals, but currently we do not have the time or space to arrange transportation or adopt out these animals.
The contract the city negotiated is a fixed price contract. Cost overruns will be the responsibility of the builder unless the city has agreed to a change order.
Shelters and adoption centers need exposure to the public. Having a location on a well-traveled road will allow the Marshall Pet Adoption Center to raise public awareness of the animals available for adoption and to make known the needs of the shelter.
Yes. A spay and neuter medical area is a critical part of the new facility. An aggressive spay and neuter program is essential to change the cycle of unwanted pets.

Yes. So many!

Low kill shelters are eligible for national, state and private grants to assist with operational costs.

The new shelter will allow the city to implement the same programs that have proven successful in achieving low kill status in our neighboring cities and across the state and country.

Corporate donors often support communities with low kill shelters.

Low kill shelters attract exponentially more volunteers. This free labor will help reduce the cost of operating the shelter.

Every donation is needed, appreciated, and tax deductible!