“In order to continue providing a safe haven and meticulous health care to all animals who need it, and keep pace with industry standards, we must build a new facility.” - Dr. Jeff Stepanek

Owner, Ark Animal Hospital & Campaign Co-Chair

THE CRITICAL NEED

  • Crowded and deteriorating living quarters currently threaten our ability to provide the standard of care our animals deserve. Living quarters located near the flow of visitors cause significant stress to our animals. Stressed animals are much less adoptable, making it more difficult for us to complete our main objective of matching animals with their forever homes.

  • This specialized area will be a safe place used for triage and the treatment of sick or injured animals during their stay at our shelter. Without this and a sufficient ventilation system (see above), disease is able to spread rapidly. This leads to higher euthanasia rates for animals.

    In our Treatment Unit we will also be able to spay, neuter, and perform other simple procedures for our shelter pets until adopted. Currently, we outsource these procedures to area veterinarians. This increases costs, stress to animals, and the amount of time between intake and when an animal is adoptable. We value our partnerships with area veterinarians and will continue to refer owners of our animals to community vets for their care after adoption.

  • Our current building suffers from a lack of natural lighting, which research has shown can cause elevated stress and anxiety among animals.

  • Outdated plumbing is in need of continuous maintenance that can be costly. Also, the current poor ventilation system is not adequate to properly control the spread of illness.

Our Vision

At a cost of approximately $6.5 million, our state-of-the-art facility will enhance the quality of care that we provide for every animal. The standard of care in our industry has increased and become more focused on saving lives. Our objective is to continue to be an industry leader and build a new facility as a model for other shelters. A new building with the right materials and best practices on the forefront, will create an environment that will lead to happier, more adoptable animals. We believe that our new shelter will strengthen our relationships with the animals, staff, volunteers, adopting families and our community.

Features of Our New Facility

  • Larger Parking Area

    More parking to accommodate larger groups, and to have better access to the new facility.

  • More Administrative Offices

    We have grown exponentially, so we need adequately-sized offices and support spaces for all employees and volunteers.

  • Small Animal Sanctuary

    Small animals, now housed in our lobby, will now have a dedicated room away from other animals.

  • Community Education Room

    A dedicated meeting space for educational events, seminars for youth groups, microchip and other classes, volunteer training, and more.

  • On-Site Vet Clinic

    An on-site vet clinic will allow us to perform simple surgeries, such as spays and neuters.

  • Updated HVAC System

    Updated systems will mitigate the spread of disease to keep our animals healthy, and will vastly reduce operating costs for our building.