Animal Foundation prepares for new shelter

Wednesday, Nov. 17, 1999 | 10:07 a.m.

A border collie named "Digger the Dog" for the children's book character will be flown in from Los Angeles Thursday to turn the first pawsful of dirt on the much anticipated Animal Foundation no-kill shelter.

Groundbreaking ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m. across from the current shelter at 700 N. Mojave Road. The public and pets are welcome.

Contractors are applying for permits, and construction of the shelter is expected to begin no later than January, Mary Herro, the foundation's president, said.

"It's so nice to see an end in sight," she said. "Every day is just so difficult in this tiny building. It's been a really tough year. There are a lot of diseases spread from the overcrowding."

As the city's contracted animal shelter, the foundation receives at least 1,000 found or unwanted cats and dogs each month.

Its adoption program has decreased the rate of euthanasia. The result, however, is overcrowding at the 7,500-square-foot facility. Each of its 70 dog runs holds four or five dogs. Cat cages line the hallways.

Construction of the new 33,000-square-foot facility across from its current one is expected to be complete in one year. The added space will ease the overcrowding and end euthanasia of healthy animals, Herro said.

The city-contracted, no-kill shelter will be the first of its kind in the country. The effort has received national attention, including a cover story in USA Today.

With $1.5 million raised, the board is halfway through its fund-raising, Herro said.

In addition to improved medical facilities and an outdoor play area, the new shelter is expected to have 300 dog runs and 200 cat cages each with separate ventilation, adequate sunlight and disease-free surfaces, Herro said.

The Animal Foundation formed in 1989 as a low-cost spay and neutering clinic as a response to pet overpopulation in Las Vegas. After receiving the city contract in 1995, officials received 10,000 more animals a year than they had before.

Funds to build the new shelter have come from donations and sponsorships ranging from $200 to $2.5 million. Sponsors can memorialize their pets through an engraved sidewalk brick, signature tile or plaque outside a dog run or cat cage.