The Cayman Islands Humane Society says that it is making good progress on its new animal shelter, but that more money is needed before the cats and dogs it cares for are able to move in.
The charity is about to kickstart a major fundraising campaign to get the remaining $450,000 out of the $750,000 in total needed to fit out the buildings and landscape the surrounding areas in the site off Captain Reginald Parsons Drive in West Bay.
The new headquarters, set in 17 acres of land willed to the society by long-time supporter Ardyth Smith, will have separate accommodation for dogs and cats and space for animals to exercise as well as an administration and educational building.
There will be recovery rooms for animals following medical treatment, a surgery suite with a full-time vet, quarantine space and adoption meeting rooms where people can get to know their future pets. Cats will even get their own television and dogs will have outside areas to explore.
Director Rebecca Quillish said that work on the 15,000 square feet of building space had been coming along rapidly since ground was broken on the site last year.
“We have doors in, we have windows in and we’re getting all our drywall installed, so we’re making really good progress,” she said. “But we are looking to raise money to fit out the shelter and we don’t have a lot of time to raise it, so we are reaching out to the public and organisations for help and sponsorship opportunities.”
The Humane Society hopes to move into the new shelter by the end of the year, leaving just a few months to raise the necessary funds via events such as its signature Fur Ball, wine-tasting evenings at Grand Old House, and corporate donations for specific projects, including landscaping, air-conditioning and the security system – all of which come with naming rights opportunities.
“We’re finalising the construction phase of the project over the summer,” said Quillish. “We’ll then need to have the necessary building certification and then we will be looking at finalising the fit out and bringing the animals in for the end of the year, fingers crossed.”
Over capacity
She said that the new shelter is well overdue, with the current site on Huldah Avenue in George Town housing more than its capacity of around 50 dogs and 50 cats.
“We’ve been in our current location since the 90s and we are always packed to the gills with more animals coming in every day,” she said. “We’re just desperate to have a safe, long-term solution for the animals and this facility will allow us to hopefully spread the word and educate the community about the care of the animals as well.”
While the West Bay site might be a bit further out of town than the current headquarters, Director Samantha Peterson said that their many volunteers could welcome the change.
“Being in the thick of it does have some advantages,” she said, “but we think that the advantages to having the space up here well outweigh any disadvantages with losing the George Town location. It’s a nice drive up into West Bay and you can bring the family and enjoy the day spending time with animals”.
Local community spot
Peterson said the hope was that the shelter would become a vibrant part of the local community.
“We will have walking trails on the property that people can use instead of having to take the dogs to the beach or to playing fields, and we also want to educate people in the community about the care for their animals and the importance of spaying and neutering, because that’s the root of the overpopulation on the island to begin with.”
In addition to donations, the society is looking for skilled volunteers to assist with the building fit out and organising events, as well as anyone who wants to join its contingent of dog walkers and cat whisperers.
Peterson said, “We’re really excited about the opportunity that the new shelter has afforded us. We think this is going to be an amazing and new chapter in the charity’s history, and we’re just dedicated to making sure that we give the animals the safe and loving homes that they deserve.”
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