The new animal care and adoption centre for the Humane Society Hastings Prince Edward should be complete within a year.
This is according to Humane Society Executive Director Marilyn Lawrie at Monday night’s Quinte West council meeting.
Lawrie provided council with an update since the project officially broke ground on Wallbridge-Loyalist Road July 9.
The new facility has been a long time coming and is much needed due to seriously deteriorating conditions at the current facility on Avonlough Road.
The $5 million facility will feature upgrades in animal storage as well as a mobile spay/neuter clinic.
So far they have raised $3.1 million of the $5 million goal for phase one. The organization recently launched its new capital campaign called “It Takes Heart”. The capital campaign’s website is officially finished and can be used to make donations.
The cities of Quinte West and Belleville have both committed hundreds of thousands of dollars to the first phase to date, as well as a guarantee of $1 million in loans each.
Lawrie said that they have reached out to the federal and provincial governments for support but have not received any.
Now, Lawrie said, the attention can turn to the second phase of the project: a community and education centre.
“Key to our mission and vision is phase two: the community and education centre. We have made requests, and this is hearkening back to Donna’s [Endicott] comments, we have made requests to both the provincial and federal government for a total of $1.3 million to fund this next phase, $650,000 each. The $650,000 represents the total cash contribution from the cities of Quinte West and Belleville.”
She said that they have reached out to Prince Edward County council for funding as well but have not received any yet.
Quinte West Mayor Jim Harrison, who was at the ground breaking ceremony, encouraged people to make a donation and to reach out to local provincial and federal government officials to seek funding for the project.
To see where to donate online, click here.
