NEENAH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday to celebrate construction beginning for the new Neenah Animal Shelter.
“There are no words for how excited we are for this. It’s been a long time coming. We’ve been working on this for three years, so it’s an amazing day for us,” said Neenah Animal Shelter Board President Mary Setton.
Setton said fundraising for a new shelter began right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, which created a great deal of challenges. But with perseverance and an outpouring of support throughout the community, the shelter’s campaign is now only $350,000 short of its $2 million goal.
“This community is amazing. Neenah is just very proud and caring. When it comes down to stepping in and being there to help along the journey, they’re there,” Setton said.
The new 6,000-square-foot facility will include an exam room, a surgical suite, quarantine spaces, expanded indoor areas for dogs and cats, adoption rooms, a conference room, office space and about 900 square feet of indoor/outdoor kennel space.
With the added space, Setton said the shelter will be able to expand its from 13 dog kennels to 16 and comfortably house between 20-45 more cats.
“The current shelter is over 60 years old and it’s just deteriorating day by day,” Setton said. “We’re over capacity. We have so many animals that we need a larger, healthier, safer environment for them.”
According to a news release, The Boldt Company and its trade partners are conducting construction of the new shelter at a significant discount compared to market costs.
“We want to be extraordinary in our communities. One way we do that is to give back on projects like this one,” said Ben Bruns, executive vice president and general manager of Boldt’s northern operations. “If you’ve been to the existing facility, you understand. This is an absolute must for our communities’ animals and the amazing people that care for them before they join with new families.”
Construction is expected to be completed in July 2024.
Individuals or businesses interested in helping support the shelter’s fundraising initiative are asked to email neenahanimalshelter@gmail.com or visit the Neenah Animal Shelter website.
