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New animal shelter preparing to open
By Tom Munds
The Humane Society of the South Platte Valley has established a location and expects to begin caring for lost and stray animals before the end of the year.
Nick Fisher, who established the society, said the agreement has been signed to lease a 6,500-square-foot facility at 2123 W. Chenango Ave., which will be transformed into the new facility to shelter and care for lost and stray animals brought in by Englewood and Littleton animal control officers. They will also operate an adoption service from the location.
“We are working to convert the building into a modern, up-to-date shelter facility,” Fisher said. “Equipment is being installed to provide 60 kennels for dogs plus about 50 kennels for cats. If all the plans go well, we’ll be up and running by mid to late December.”
The phones will be turned on Dec. 1 so people can talk to society staff members. Also, the staff is working to get the Web site up in the next couple weeks.
To reach the Humane Society of the South Platte Valley, call 303-703-2928. The fax number is 303-703-2922. When it is activated, the society Web site will be www.hsspv.org.
When the shelter opens, it should wind up the issue that began late last year when the Colorado Attorney General’s office was successful in legal action to have the court take over control of the Colorado Humane Society and appoint a custodian. The attorney general’s office also secured a court order removing the existing management.
The court appointed Rick Block of the Waverton Group as custodian for the society and he hired a staff to keep the organization running and the shelter open with the intention of eventually finding someone to take over the society. When he took over, Block said the shelter operation would continue to do business as usual until the effort to select someone to take over the society’s future is settled. It appears the front runner to be named to take over the society will accept the name but doesn’t have plans to continue shelter operations.
That left Englewood and Littleton to seek long-term animal shelter services. Fisher presented his proposal to create a new humane society and establish a new shelter. Both cities supported Fisher’s proposal and, late this year, each city provided $100,000 in capital funding to help Fisher get the facility established, up and running to provide the services currently provided by the Colorado Humane Society since 1991.
The tentative schedule is for Englewood and Littleton animal control officers to begin using the new facility later this month instead of the Colorado Humane Society-operated facility on South Platte River Drive. Mike Flaherty, Englewood deputy city manager, said the process is under way to notify the Colorado Humane Society the service won’t be needed after the first of the year.
Fisher said the building that is located on the Littleton-Englewood border was his first choice because of the size and location. The building is adjacent to a large open area where shelter employees and volunteers can have an open area to exercise the animals being housed at the facility.
“Susan Fredinburg, who has been with Colorado Humane Society for several years, is joining us,” Fisher said. “We will be conducting interviews and hope to have selected about nine people for our staff in the next week or so.”
The plans are to have about nine people on staff, including a veterinarian and a veterinarian assistant to span and neuter animals on site.
“We are excited about the future of our facility,” Fisher said. “We have a great board of directors in place and plan to begin letting people know who we are as soon as we get open. We hope that, once the facility is up and running, we can work with other governmental agencies including Sheridan, Centennial and Arapahoe County so we can contract to provide the shelter services for them as well.”
Nick Fisher, who established the society, said the agreement has been signed to lease a 6,500-square-foot facility at 2123 W. Chenango Ave., which will be transformed into the new facility to shelter and care for lost and stray animals brought in by Englewood and Littleton animal control officers. They will also operate an adoption service from the location.
“We are working to convert the building into a modern, up-to-date shelter facility,” Fisher said. “Equipment is being installed to provide 60 kennels for dogs plus about 50 kennels for cats. If all the plans go well, we’ll be up and running by mid to late December.”
The phones will be turned on Dec. 1 so people can talk to society staff members. Also, the staff is working to get the Web site up in the next couple weeks.
To reach the Humane Society of the South Platte Valley, call 303-703-2928. The fax number is 303-703-2922. When it is activated, the society Web site will be www.hsspv.org.
When the shelter opens, it should wind up the issue that began late last year when the Colorado Attorney General’s office was successful in legal action to have the court take over control of the Colorado Humane Society and appoint a custodian. The attorney general’s office also secured a court order removing the existing management.
The court appointed Rick Block of the Waverton Group as custodian for the society and he hired a staff to keep the organization running and the shelter open with the intention of eventually finding someone to take over the society. When he took over, Block said the shelter operation would continue to do business as usual until the effort to select someone to take over the society’s future is settled. It appears the front runner to be named to take over the society will accept the name but doesn’t have plans to continue shelter operations.
That left Englewood and Littleton to seek long-term animal shelter services. Fisher presented his proposal to create a new humane society and establish a new shelter. Both cities supported Fisher’s proposal and, late this year, each city provided $100,000 in capital funding to help Fisher get the facility established, up and running to provide the services currently provided by the Colorado Humane Society since 1991.
The tentative schedule is for Englewood and Littleton animal control officers to begin using the new facility later this month instead of the Colorado Humane Society-operated facility on South Platte River Drive. Mike Flaherty, Englewood deputy city manager, said the process is under way to notify the Colorado Humane Society the service won’t be needed after the first of the year.
Fisher said the building that is located on the Littleton-Englewood border was his first choice because of the size and location. The building is adjacent to a large open area where shelter employees and volunteers can have an open area to exercise the animals being housed at the facility.
“Susan Fredinburg, who has been with Colorado Humane Society for several years, is joining us,” Fisher said. “We will be conducting interviews and hope to have selected about nine people for our staff in the next week or so.”
The plans are to have about nine people on staff, including a veterinarian and a veterinarian assistant to span and neuter animals on site.
“We are excited about the future of our facility,” Fisher said. “We have a great board of directors in place and plan to begin letting people know who we are as soon as we get open. We hope that, once the facility is up and running, we can work with other governmental agencies including Sheridan, Centennial and Arapahoe County so we can contract to provide the shelter services for them as well.”
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