Lawrence Humane Society shelter volunteer Mary Brammer accompanies a dog out to one of the outdoor runs at the shelter site, 1805 E. 19th St. Shelter leaders are trying to raise 25,000 to expand the facility and so far have raised about half that.

The Lawrence Humane Society doesn’t want to have to beg, but it might.

It is in dire need of funds to pay for a 5,000-square-foot addition and state-mandated repairs.

Midge Grinstead, executive director of the society, said the project would cost about $525,000 and the shelter has only raised about half that.

Leaders at the shelter hope they don’t have to dip into a pre-approved $400,000 loan to pay for the work, which is scheduled to be complete by June 1.

“Hopefully, we will get it all paid off before we have to draw from that loan,” Grinstead said. “Any money that we spend on interest or on a loan payment is money I could be using to provide services or care for the animals in our community. So, I hate it. It seems so wasteful.”

Sue Novak, president of the society’s board of directors, agreed.

“I would like for us to be able to raise all of the money ourselves,” she said.

They are working on raising funds by sending information packets to potential donors. By having a float in the St. Patrick’s Day parade, they hoped to let area residents know about their needs.

The project

Those needs began last year when state animal health authorities ordered the society to make a large number of repairs to the shelter at 1805 E. 19th St. Shifting ground underneath the shelter, along with drainage problems, caused floors to buckle, ceilings to warp and parts of the metal siding to rust away on the building that was constructed in 1994.

Grinstead said simply delaying the project was not an option because state inspectors determined the society needed to start making the repairs to maintain its license.

Besides the renovation work, the society is adding 1,400 square feet of space to the eastern end of the building. The project will:

¢ Add 16 dog runs for use by puppies, which will end the practice of housing puppies in small kennels.

¢ Increase the number of adult dog runs from 13 to 20.

¢ Create better ventilation.

¢ Add educational space where people can peruse and obtain a variety of information.

The addition will allow the shelter to have the following services that are currently not offered:

¢ Space for emergency pets.

¢ A screened-in porch for cats and hand pets.

¢ Space for potential adopters to interact with cats and hand pets.

¢ Soundproof rooms for cats and hand pets.

¢ Grooming facilities.

Lawrence resident Kali Vukas, a seven-year shelter employee, is looking forward to the shelter’s addition.

“It is going to provide better ventilation and more room for the puppies to run around,” she said.

Novak described the addition as “fantastic.”

“I am excited about getting it done,” she said. “It is going to provide a lot better atmosphere for the animals. It is going to be a lot easier for the staff and volunteers to help take care of things.”

The superintendent of the construction project couldn’t agree more.

Will Roberts, who works for First Management, said they were installing an innovative drainage system that would provide each kennel with its own drain. He said the system would eliminate bacteria and odor.

“They are really going to take a step up. It’s going to help them function and operate much more efficiently,” he said.

He said the hardest part of the project has been keeping the noise and exhaust level at a minimum to help alleviate stress on the animals.

Grinstead said the company has been doing a good job.

“So far, it bothers the people more than the dogs and cats,” she said. “They are sleeping through it. We have a few that are stressed and we move them out right away. We don’t leave them in there.”

Roberts said the project is on schedule and should be done before the shelter’s busy summer season hits.

Grinstead said the shelter takes in between 600 to 800 animals a month during the summer, which is an increase from the 332 animals it took in during February.

“They all know what the bottom line is here, and we certainly don’t want to be taking in 800 animals without the space,” she said. “We can put a lot of animals in that space, and it is critical.”

Big improvements

The addition isn’t the only item on Grinstead’s agenda.

“I have a five-year plan, and in that five-year plan I am going to have a vet on staff to do our spay and neuters and have a clinic here,” she said.

The shelter currently relies on the generosity of veterinarians in the Lawrence community and has one on the board of directors.

A new isolation room also is on Grinstead’s five-year plan.

“The isolation room was put in with plastic kennels, which is crazy – talk about a disease spreader,” she said. “At some point we are going to redo that and make it so that animals that are sick can go in there and not spread disease.”

Novak said having a veterinarian clinic and isolation room were “absolutely essential.” She said under the direction of Grinstead, the board had accomplished many things in the past 10 years and believed it would reach those goals, too.

“We have some folks who are just not going to take ‘no’ for an answer, and whatever it is, we each bring our own skills to it and make sure it gets done,” Novak said.