Animal shelter becoming closer to reality

By: Adam Rollins, Staff Writer
Posted 7/30/21

The organization planning to build a large animal shelter in Warren County is closing in on that dream, recently releasing a detailed building layout and providing more information about their …

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Animal shelter becoming closer to reality

Posted

The organization planning to build a large animal shelter in Warren County is closing in on that dream, recently releasing a detailed building layout and providing more information about their upcoming plans.

Work on the newly named “Wags & Whiskers” animal shelter is hoped to begin by late this year or early next year, said Tracy Sator, a board member of the nonprofit Concerned Citizens for Animal Care. The shelter will be located on Highway M, just west of Highway F.

Sator said the building will be about 3,000 square feet, plus outdoor play space. It will have separated facilities for dogs and cats, isolation areas for sick animals, rooms to meet with community members, and other features to help animals be more comfortable while they’re staying at the shelter. When it’s fully operational, the shelter should be able to comfortably hold about 25 dogs and 25 cats, Sator said.

“We probably won’t be able to afford to build out that many dog kennels right away, because they’re very expensive. We’ll build as many as we can and then continue fundraising for the rest,” Sator said.

Once operational, she said the shelter will start off employing one full-time, paid manager, and will rely on a network of part-time volunteers to help provide for needs such as spending time with the animals and cleaning up after them. She said the animal shelter organization is deeply appreciative of all those who have already volunteered their time to help fundraise for the shelter and lay the plans for its eventual construction.

To make sure the Wags & Whiskers facility doesn’t run into any hiccups once it opens, Sator said board members have also been gathering information from other shelters in the region about what features they wish their shelter had.

“We’re learning from other people who built shelters to make the best facility we can. We’ve learned a lot,” Sator commented.

Leading up to the shelter’s construction, Sator also said the Wags & Whiskers organization is planning to begin arranging for low-cost microchipping and spay/neuter services.

In the meantime, Sator said the shelter still needs community support for its completion and eventual operation.

“Now and during the build of the shelter we need any tangible contributions, such as windows, flooring, drywall, doors, fencing, etc., that would be used for our interior build,” Sator said. “We will continue to raise funds to completely furnish the interior of the shelter and to support our future operations and community programs.”

Anyone interested in supporting the shelter through donations or volunteering can find more information online at www.wags-whiskers.org, or contact wagswhiskersmo@gmail.com.

Concerned Citizens for Animal Care, CCAC, Wags and Whiskers, Woofstock

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