If you don’t find just the right gift at the bazaars, or are stuck at home with the flu, how about a donation in your animal lover’s name to Friends of the Shelter – Tobacco Valley Animal Shelter? Stop by the Shelter (at the entrance to Riverwalk) and see our great animal-themed cards you can send to let them know about your gift. Or make your donation here using PayPal, and we’ll send the card for you! In the PayPal comments section, include your gift recipient’s name and mailing address, how you would like your card “signed”, and whether you would like a cat theme or dog theme card (as long as available) or e-mail that information to connie@eurekafos.com.
Friends of the Shelter is in the news! The Tobacco Valley News published the following article on 9/24/09
A roof before the snow flies
Animal shelter raising final funds for a fall ‘dry in’
By Krista Tincher
Of the Tobacco Valley News
Friends of the Shelter stood with Lincoln County Commissioners and community representatives in the sweltering September sun north of Eureka Wednesday afternoon.
Beneath their feet was a freshly poured concrete pad, complete with septic and waterlines stubbed in.
This was the official construction inauguration ceremony for the new Tobacco Valley Animal Shelter building.
And with any luck – in the form of $7,000 – a roof could be over that concrete pad before the snow flies this winter.
Lori McNicol, president of the Friends of the Shelter, thanked each community member in turn during the ceremony for their contributions to the shelter’s cause, and introduced Tobacco Valley resident Bob Helms of Mostly Montana Construction and Building Components as the new building’s construction contractor.
Commissioners Marianne Roose and John Konzen each spoke in turn, praising the Friends of the Shelter for its efforts and evident success.
About 600 animals have come through the shelter doors since it reopened at its current location near the Historical Village in January 2008. Ninety percent of those animals, noted McNicol, have found homes.
The FOS contracts with Lincoln County to take on the animals picked up by the north Lincoln County animal control officer, Wendy Anderson, who also serves as the FOS shelter director.
The current FOS building is owned by the county, and is slated to be decommissioned as soon as the shelter is able to relocate to its new building.
The 2,319 square-foot new shelter building will stand north of Eureka on
Hwy. 93 on one acre of land donated to the Friends of the Shelter by Dona and Keith Taylor. It will share a driveway with Trapper’s Saloon.
The new building will house 16 dog kennels, a dog isolation area, and a cat room with 12 cat cages. The dog kennels will each have a door with the option of allowing the animals access to individual outside areas. A food prep area and lobby area are also included in the plans.
Outside, three separate dog play areas will be available, as well as a cat play area.
FOS treasurer Sue Fanning said that the group has hopes for a walking trail in the area, in lieu of the Eureka Riverwalk currently used by those who enjoy walking the shelter animals.
Fanning said that FOS had been discussing possibilities for a walking trail with the Taylors.
FOS projects the total construction costs of the building to run $195,000. The group has already raised $70,000.
FOS will be continuing its fund-raising efforts, with a focus upon raising the $7,000 needed to dry-in the existing foundation before the snow flies this winter.