Some of you had questions that were asked by others as well. We’ve compiled this hand-dandy Q&A so you can better understand the details of our project.
Where will your new shelter be, and how big is it?
Our new shelter, scheduled to open in late 2018, is at 1209 Highway 4 in Angels Camp, (next to Spence Ranch Feed & Supply and near Angels Camp Veterinary Hospital). At 4,000 square feet, it’s the perfect size to become our new headquarters and first standalone shelter. We will have plenty of room to comfortably house our animal guests while they wait to be adopted by their new families, and space to make the adoption experience pleasant and enjoyable for all involved.
Our no-kill shelter will primarily accept owner surrendered animals from the public on a space-available basis, and will also accept transferred animals from both Calaveras County Animal Services and other Northern California agencies.
We will have pets available for adoption, and will still be able to continue to offer all the programs and services (spay/neuter vouchers, and more) that you have come to love and rely upon.
Will your new shelter have animals besides dogs and cats?
You bet! We will have a dedicated room in our new adoption center for small animals, such as guinea pigs, bunnies, hamsters — and even birds! Our “inventory,” so to speak, will depend upon what is brought to us and what we transfer in from other shelters, but we hope to make our community aware that we will be a great source for adopting these critters.
Will my taxes help pay for the Calaveras Humane Society’s new shelter?
No. We are a nonprofit organization, and do not receive any government funding. We depend entirely upon donations, bequests, grants, and revenue from our thrift store to cover our operating costs. If you’d like to contribute to our project, we appreciate donations of any size. Every dollar counts!
Do you need volunteer help with the construction? I’m good with a hammer.
Thanks for all the kind offers we’ve received! Our fantastic general contractor has things well in hand at the moment. But if you’re a licensed professional (plumber, electrician, etc.) and want to offer your services to us at a special rate, we’d be interested. Just shoot us an email. We’d also love to hear from business owners about in-kind donations of supplies (concrete, sheetrock, flooring, lumber, and more).
What about the cats you bring to your thrift store in Arnold? Will that end?
We will still feature cats and kittens for adoption at our Arnold thrift store, even after we’ve opened our new shelter in Angels Camp. Our kitties have become a beloved tradition there, and we wouldn’t want to disappoint visitors! We have placed hundreds of felines into loving new homes via adoptions at our thrift store, and plan to place hundreds more there as well.
Will I be able to have my dog or cat spayed/neutered at your new shelter? What about having a vet see my pet?
Our new facility will not have its own spay/neuter clinic, and we won’t be operating a veterinary hospital. We will be contracting with a local veterinarian for the care of our shelter animals.
We will, however, continue our program of offering vouchers to Calaveras County residents for discounted spay/neuter surgery at area veterinary hospitals (ALL veterinarians in our county currently participate, and a number in adjacent counties as well). We issued more than 1,500 spay/neuter discount vouchers in 2017 alone. We pay the veterinary hospitals directly for the difference when they accept a voucher and reduce the cost of surgery for a client.
Will you need volunteers to help with the animals when the shelter is open?
Absolutely! We’ll be seeking dog walkers, cat cuddlers, office volunteers, adoption counselors, and much more. Please look for announcements later in the year on our Facebook page and in our monthly e-newsletter. We won’t be able to make our shelter a success without a dedicated team of volunteers, and we’d love to have you join us. It will take a village to make our shelter soar!
How can I stay up to date on the progress of your new shelter project?
Easy! Just sign up for our monthly e-newsletter, and follow us on Facebook. We provide lots of updates in both locations. We’re eager to share things with you as they unfold!
