Community raises $30,000 for shelter

Only a few weeks after the Flathead County Animal Shelter went to the public for fundraising help for new projects, more than $30,000 has been raised.

Shelter Director Cliff Bennett was more than a little surprised at the speed of the community’s assistance.

“I was amazed,” he said. “I thought we might have enough funds sometime next summer. That much money in that short a period of time is humbling.”

John Kramer, a Whitefish philanthropist, pledged $10,000 toward the shelter’s planned $43,714 project to update dog kennels and add an air circulation system. Kramer’s pledge came with the caveat that the shelter must raise the additional money.

That wasn’t a problem for the shelter. Bennett gives credit primarily to Myni Ferguson, a member of the Flathead Shelter Friends.

It was Ferguson who spoke to Kramer and got the initial investment.

“The Flathead Shelter Friends went to work and the donations started pouring in,” Bennett said. “Now we’ll wait until spring to tackle some of these problems.”

While the initial estimate was for that $43,000 figure, Bennett admits the cost was badly misjudged for at least one component.

The air conditioning system is meant to cool down the dogs in summer as well as avoid spread of contagious diseases. (This summer the shelter was the site of a virulent upper-respiratory infection for the canines.) It was bid at $25,000, the most expensive chunk of the project. Total cost for the system ended up at $37,500.

Other costs include insulated “guillotine” doors for indoor/outdoor kennels and vinyl panels so the dogs don’t fight. Some improvements will be done by the end of October, Bennett said.

“We were planning on using extra donations to go toward the expansion of the cat wing,” he said. “We’ll just have to put them toward the air conditioning now. It was a disappointment, but we are still fortunate.”

Bennett credits the community for generous donations as well as the county commissioners, who have seen the shelter grow into the clean, spacious (and growing) facility it is now.

It helps that the Flathead shelter is forced to kill very few animals — few enough, in fact, to technically be considered a “no-kill” shelter.

“I try to shy away from that term,” Bennett said. “A lot of people think no-kill means never-kill, which it does not.”

Only the most vicious or sick animals get put down at the shelter. That number could go down further as the expansions get underway.

Initial engineering estimates were completed for the expansion of the cat wing that will allow more room for all the animals the shelter takes in.

“We’re in the process of gathering bids,” Bennett said. “It’s unbelievable we could have two shelter-enhancing projects at once.”

The shelter is open to the public at noon Tuesday through Saturday. The phone number is 752-1310.

Reporter Ryan Murray may be reached at 758-4439 or at rmurray@dailyinterlake.com.