Flood Illustrates Need For New Humane Society Shelter Animal Assistance Organization Begins Capital Campaign Humane society members and volunteers watch as floodwaters creep closer to the shelter Nov. 19. By Mike Shands Last month’s High Country flooding provided a perfect example of why the Watauga Humane Society wants to build its shelter in a different – and drier – location. The threat of flooding to its current shelter is just one of the reasons the humane society has plans to build a state-of-the-art animal care and adoption center on 13.8 acres of land it purchased this June. Groundbreaking on the project, which is located on Old Highway 421 east of Boone in the Rutherwood area, is scheduled for summer 2004. The only thing that can slow the project down is money, or a lack of it. That’s why the humane society recently launched a capital campaign with the goal of raising $1.2 million. “We’re just kicking off our capital campaign because we know we can’t build it unless we have the money that we need,” said Jan Watson, the humane society’s treasurer and capital campaign chairwoman. So the capital campaign committee sent out several thousand letters to Watauga County residents late last month with information about the fundraising effort. “I know we didn’t hit anywhere near everybody with the mailout, but that’s why I’m hoping that if people did not get a letter but read this article that they will make a donation to the Watauga Humane Society,” Watson said. Rising Waters Humane society shelter staff members and volunteers spent the morning of Nov. 19 watching the New River overflow its banks and creep ever closer to the shelter. They had little choice but to evacuate the shelter’s animals. This sign near the humane society shelter became submerged before floodwaters eventually receded Nov. 19. “When we got to work the river was already out of its banks and in the yard of the shelter,” said Lynn Northup, shelter manager. “We have an evacuation plan where I call one of the board members and she contacts the volunteers.” About 20 volunteers arrived to help evacuate the shelter’s 84 animals. The Casey Lane bridge over the river was under several feet of water, though, forcing the volunteers to use a private dirt road that’s not open to the public. “The vets in town and (Watauga County) animal control had agreed to house as many as they could hold, and it was good timing because they had enough room,” Northup said. “If it had been Thanksgiving weekend they would have been full up with boarding animals.” Northup said floodwaters reached the shelter’s deck, but didn’t rise enough to enter the building. “What routinely happens here is the (Casey Lane) bridge does flood, and so the public can’t get here to adopt animals,” she said. “Several times this summer the bridge was under water and people couldn’t get here to adopt.” Town of Boone restrictions adopted since the shelter was built prohibit the humane society from making almost any kind of renovation or improvement to it because of its location in a floodplain. “The shelter is just inadequate,” Watson said. “It needs a lot of repair. “Anybody who helped us with the evacuation of the animals during the flood knows how scary it was and how fortunate we were to get those animals out of there. “We just serve so many animals, and we don’t have room.” The shelter averages caring for about 1,000 animals per year, but far more need its services. Complete Facility Since acquiring the land in June the humane society has hired the award-winning architectural firm of Walter, Robbs, Callahan & Pierce from Winston-Salem to help design the facility. “We are still in the process of working with them to come up with the plans for the facility,” Watson said. But renovations have already begun on the site’s existing home to relocate the humane society’s thrift shop, and work on a 3-acre community dog park is also under way. When completed the facility will also house a cat mall, dog kennels, an educational library, a lab, a surgical room, an on-site manager’s home, hiking trails, picnic areas and a memorial garden. “It’s going to be a very, very nice facility – one that this county certainly needs,” Watson said. The fundraising goal of $1.2 million will include the cost of all construction, land purchase, equipment, furnishings and landscaping. The good news for the humane society is that nearly $220,000 has already been generated from fundraisers, individuals and regional and national organizations dedicated to animal welfare. The bad news is that means the humane society still has to raise almost $1 million. “It’s not like we’re starting from scratch, which is a nice thought, but when you have to raise $1.2 million it keeps me awake at night,” Watson said. “What we might have to do is to build all of it, but not finish off certain rooms if we don’t have enough money. “We’d have the rooms for the cats and the dogs and the feeding rooms, but maybe not the conference room, or maybe not the surgery room or the library or maybe some of the offices that we need.” Anyone interested in donating funds can write a check payable to the Watauga Humane Society with “Building Fund” written on the memo space and send it to P.O. Box 1835, Boone, N.C., 28607. Those who received the capital campaign letter can return the pledge card if they want to pay monthly or quarterly. “Boone is such a generous community, and one of the things I’m hoping is that when people hear about it they’ll say, ‘Gosh, maybe I want to do a little fundraiser for the humane society,’ or ‘Maybe my child wants to do a little fundraiser,’ ” Watson said. “It doesn’t have to be anything tremendous because every penny counts.” Watson also hopes to involve area school children in the fundraising effort. “We have so many great school groups that come out to the shelter,” she said. “We have little educational programs for them, and I just hope we can get them involved.” Residents can also help out buy purchasing the 2004 Watauga Humane Society Calendar, which Minor’s Printing and Todd Bush Photography recently produced at no cost to the humane society. The calendars are $10 apiece and available at a variety of area businesses and the humane society’s shelter. All proceeds from calendar sales will go to the capital campaign. Call the shelter at (828) 264-7865 or look online at www.wataugahumanesociety.org for more information.