For the love of furry friends

Small dogs (above) are adopted from Lakeland Animal Shelter much quicker than large dogs. The shelter’s new building, which opened in 2016, is partially finished but an additional $500,000 is needed to get all of the animals under one roof. Kristen Perry (below), executive director shown holding a 5-week-old kitten, said once complete, the improved efficiency will keep the animals healthier and speed up the adoption availability for many of them. (Heather Ruenz photos)

Lakeland Animal Shelter seeks funds to finish new building

By Heather Ruenz

SLN staff

There are a few things Lakeland Animal Shelter is never short of, cats and large dogs for instance. And while ongoing needs, such as supplies keep the operation running on a day-to-day basis, efforts to raise the funds needed to complete its “extreme shelter makeover” is also a priority.

Three million dollars has already been raised and the new shelter opened in 2016. The front portion is finished and is housing cats and small dogs. But approximately 10,000 square feet still needs to be completed, which will cost roughly $500,000.

Kristen Perry, the shelter’s executive director, said the goal is to have everyone – and everything – under one roof by January 2018.

“Because of how much more efficient the new building is we’ve managed to keep up without having to add staff even though we’re operating in both buildings. Once it’s finished and everything is here, we’re hoping to cut costs even though we’ll have about three times as much space as we did,” Perry said.

For the rest of the story on the animal shelter, pick up a copy of the Southern Lakes Newspapers publication on stands now in local communities throughout Walworth County and western Kenosha and Racine counties.

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