This is a preliminary rendering, provided by the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association, for a new Charleston-area animal shelter. It shows a larger facility than their current Greenbrier Street location, including big windows and ample parking.
This is a preliminary aerial rendering, provided by the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association, for a new Charleston-area animal shelter. It shows a larger facility than its current Greenbrier Street location, including multiple wings including an attached medical facility.
This is a preliminary rendering, provided by the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association, for a new Charleston-area animal shelter. It shows a larger facility than their current Greenbrier Street location, including big windows and ample parking.
KCHA | Submitted photos
This is a preliminary aerial rendering, provided by the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association, for a new Charleston-area animal shelter. It shows a larger facility than its current Greenbrier Street location, including multiple wings including an attached medical facility.
CHARLESTON -- Following heavy damage to its existing building almost two months ago, the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association has identified a possible location for construction of a new facility to house hundreds of animals in need of permanent homes.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œKCHA is in the process of purchasing land,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ confirmed Bethany Hively, executive director, in an email statement to HD ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWe are not prepared to publicly announce the location at this time. Once the purchase has been finalized, we intend to kick off a capital campaign and will have additional information.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
The prospective property has to be surveyed and must pass soil sample tests before the land is purchased, said Community Engagement Manager Angie Gillenwater. But already there are architectural renderings that show a significant upgrade to the current facility.
Some of the new features include larger and more play yards able to accommodate well over 100 adult dogs. The shelter now has two small play yards.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThese are first rendering and will likely change once we get further along in the process,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ said Hively.
KCHA officials have not provided details about the size or cost of the prospective property or the number of animals the new facility could accommodate.
Gillenwater said she has big dreams for a new shelter.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re looking at having the medical clinic in the same building as KCHA, for easier access to care so that our medical staff is more available,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ she said.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re looking at having bigger and more spacious kennels that are designed with the dogsÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ wellbeing and mental health in mind.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
For example, having kennels where dogs face each other day in and day out is not ideal, she said, either for animals that are stressed by other pets or for those who enjoy playing and interacting but canÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t from behind a wire fence, Diagonal kennels where the animals arenÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t face-to-face would be less stressful.
WhatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s next
The Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association suffered massive structural damage when a U-Haul truck hit the building on March 27. Nearly 200 animals were relocated to foster homes that day, and donations began coming in.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI guess a lot of people saw it coming that we would probably end up needing a new facility,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Gillenwater said.
An estimated price for the new facility will be determined, in part, by a final location ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” but a fundraising campaign is expected to get underway this summer. Construction is expected to take 3-5 years.
WOWK-TV first reported on the KCHAÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s relocation plans.
Maria Young is a features reporter. She can be reached at 304-348-5115 or maria.young@hdmediallc.com. Follow on Twitter.
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