Humane Society shelter coming along

Isabel Young, president of the Capital City Humane Society, says things are coming along on the planned no-kill shelter off of Highway 50 East across from Centennial Park.

The shelter, which will be built on 6.78 acres the group rents from the city for $1 per year, is scheduled to have space for 125 cats and 100 dogs. Carson City needs such a shelter, according to Young.

"A capital city without a Humane Society?" she said. "I've never heard of such a thing. Even a small city should have one."

The problem, she says, is that the city grew in population from 14,000 to 70,000 (with transients and visitors) and the original 61-cage animal control facility did not grow with it.

Young said she expects the foundation to be laid on the site off Asphalt Road within the next three to four months. The builder, Jack Fleming, is currently out of state but is expected to return soon.

Fleming, a builder licensed in both Nevada and California, was instrumental in starting the Nevada Center for Vocational Education and Research, a building class for abused women and the mentally challenged offered at Western Nevada Community College.

"He called me," said Young, explaining how he came to be involved in the project. "I didn't ask him -- he offered."

The Capital City Humane Society has had many other people eager to help with the project.

So far, donations to the shelter have included: construction material worth an estimated $100,000 donated by American Builders; Pete Bachstadt, director of the Carson-Eagle Valley Humane Association donated several 8-foot tall metal cages worth a reported $36,000; Bill Hissam, general manager of Cactus Jack's Casino, donated doors for the new buildings; Clark Russell of the Pi-on Plaza has donated the use of a room at the casino for Humane Society meetings and two mobile homes were donated by American Homes.

On top of that, Young says there have been about 150 people who have volunteered to help.

"Volunteers are wonderful but they can't be relied on because suddenly they need to get their hair done or their sister flies in from God knows where," Young said. "That's why we'll need a director of volunteers."

The group expects to have only two paid positions at the new shelter, the director and a veterinarian. An apartment will be built on site for the vet to live in, according to Young.

"We should be self-sufficient in one year because we'll charge for day care," she said. "A lot of people can't leave their dog alone while they're at work."

She said they'll design the pet day care after a center currently operating in Sparks.

Fund-raisers to help the group move toward its goal of free spay and neutering at a no-kill shelter have included a spaghetti feed at which "Rosie the Rottweiler" offered paw print signatures, an annual dinner and fashion show at the Pi-on Plaza which is planned for February and the Paws in the Park foot race. The 5 kilometer race, scheduled for mid-November, was canceled due to weather but should be rescheduled for spring, according to Young.

Young and the rest of the Capital City Humane Society are thankful for all the help the community has offered.

"People have been wonderful," she said. "Once they understand what we're doing they can't turn us down."

You Can Help

Call the Capital City Humane Society:

President Isabel Young at 841-1911 or Vice President Betty Horrocks at 841-2968.