Kalamazoo Humane Society kicks off fundraiser for new facility to provide critical care for animals

Construction on a new center where animals can receive crucial care and services such as spaying and neutering is expected to begin by spring 2018.

The Kalamazoo Humane Society has announced that it has raised $3 million of the $4.75 million that it needs to build the new center.

The new building will be located in Comstock Township at River Street and the I-94 Business Loop. It will replace the Humane Society’s current home, a converted bridal shop. 

Executive Director of KHS Aaron Winters says the new center will allow the Kalamazoo Humane Society to expand its low-cost spay and neuter services that reduce unwanted litters. The new facility also will increase access to its emergency pet food bank and other services for pet owners in crisis. It will provide a place to  offer humane education activities to promote responsible treatment of animals.

Operation Fix-It, the Humane Society's spay and neuter program, has exceeded 60,000 procedures since 2002, which correlates to dramatic reductions in the number of animals housed in the shelter operated by Kalamazoo County Animal Services & Enforcement. Reportedly, in 2015 no dogs were euthanized for lack of space — a result attributed to Operation Fix-It. The new animal care and resource center will increase the scope of Operation Fix-It, Winters says.

“When complete, our new home will allow us to grow programs that reduce the number of shelter animals through education and access to medical services and assistance,” Winters says.

The Humane Society kicked off the public portion of its capital campaign at a news conference in downtown Kalamazoo, surrounded by supporters, local dignitaries, and a few pets. It asked for the community's support in funding the remaining $1.75 million needed to get the facility built. 

“The amazingly generous response we’ve seen in the early part of our capital campaign shows what I’ve always known, that this community loves, cares for and wants to protect its animals,” says Winters.

Robert Cinabro and Colleen Killen-Roberts, co-chairs of the Compassion/Prevention/Results Campaign, shared Winters’ enthusiasm. The campaign started with the goal of funding an animal care and resource center that would tackle increased demand for access to services that help not only reduce the number of unwanted pets in shelters and on the streets but also help keep pets safe and in their own homes, Cinabro says. “Thanks to the vision and commitment of 140 donors to date, we’ve made outstanding progress toward that goal.”

 Killen-Roberts says the Kalamazoo Humane Society has remained committed to protecting the vulnerable since 1897. "This new animal care and resource center, which expands the Humane Society’s crucial medical, education and support services, is the next step in advancing our identity as a compassionate community. Now we’re asking the rest of the community to take us over the finish line in this important campaign.”

How to contribute
The Kalamazoo Humane Society is a 601(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Gifts to it are tax-deductible. Individuals and groups wishing to support the Compassion/Prevention/Results Campaign may do so in any of the following ways:

• A one-time cash gift

• A multi-year pledge commitment that can be paid over three years

• A gift of appreciated assets, such as stocks

• A donation of an asset that can be converted to cash, such as property, a car, collectibles, etc.

• An estate gift

More information about the Kalamazoo Humane Society and the animal care and resource center, including an informational video, is available online here. 

Sources: Rick Chambers, Rick Chambers and Associates, Kalamazoo Humane Society