Foundation gives animal shelter $100K boost

While the fundraising isn’t over, a new Steele County animal shelter got a big boost in June, with a grant from the Owatonna Foundation.

The Steele County Humane Society (SCHS) broke ground last year for the facility, which will be located adjacent to Lake Chase dog park on State Avenue. They’re raising $2.5 million to cover not only the costs of construction, but also five years of operating expenses.

In late June, the Foundation gave the project a big boost, approving a $100,000 grant. It was the largest amount awarded during the May 2023 grant cycle, director Sara McKay said.

“The whole board votes, and it was unanimous. That’s what was so fun about it,” she said. “Nobody blinked an eye.”

For more than 30 years, SCHS has provided food, shelter, socialization, vet care, and love to lost animals throughout Steele County. 

The shelter building is “long overdue,” said Sandra McConn Halla, a volunteer and real estate agent who has been involved with the project from the beginning.

“We’re such an asset to the community, but they don’t see us” because the animals are sheltered in private foster homes. About 190 come to the Humane Society each month, Halla said.

Once the new building opens, it will have the capacity for housing up to 40 dogs and up to 60 cats, with “cat condos” up front. Dogs will be housed in the back, where there will also be several rooms where potential adoptive families can meet with their chosen pets.

Contractor Kurt Welker of Welker Custom Homes got involved early with the SCHS shelter after putting an addition onto one in Albert Lea. He was involved in getting soils reports when the land was purchased in 2016, and in developing preliminary plans and budgets.

While the project itself hasn’t changed much, costs have. Welker has done some preliminary earth moving on the site. Final architectural drawings and mechanical plans are underway “so we can get firm bids and get everything going,” he said.

Along with rising material costs, Welker said, the construction business is being hit hard by a significant labor shortage, which also drives up prices.

He said the project will likely be completed next summer. In the meantime, SCHS fundraising efforts continue, and “every dollar counts,” McKay said.

Donations at all levels are welcome, and there are naming opportunities for shelter rooms. You can, for instance, have one of the cat condos named in honor or in memory of a cherished feline friend.

To learn more or donate, visit steelecountyhumanesociety.com.