SPCA looking forward to new rooms
Building work will begin on a new Southland SPCA shelter this month after the organisation raised nearly $1.9 million.
Animal Ark co-chairman Donna McEntyre said the SPCA had reached its funding goal after three years, with donations coming from a range of places including the Invercargill Licensing Trust Foundation, the Community Trust of Southland and a $1m donation from Invercargill businessman Louis Crimp.
Ms McEntyre said the committee was grateful to the community funders and members of the public who had recognised and contributed to the new facility.
‘‘It’s a fantastic feeling to now be in a position to start on the rebuild itself. It will be a very proud day for everyone involved to see that first bit of turf turned.’’
Just $50,000 short of its $1.9m target, the committee planned to continue fundraising to asphalt the carpark, furnish the interior, put in new fixtures and fittings and do anything else which may be needed, she said.
Consents had been submitted to the Invercargill City Council and it was hoped construction would begin onsite at Woodend this month. The build was expected to take about six months.
Ms McEntyre said designs had been drawn up for a $1.9m 1000 square metre facility, with an in-house veterinary surgery, quarantine areas, service rooms and an education room and which would house cats and dogs on opposite sides of the complex.
The present building could cater for 80 cats and kittens and 30 dogs, but the new shelter would have room for 220 cats and kittens and 50 dogs, she said.
A dedicated team of staff and volunteers at the SPCA worked tirelessly to care for hundreds of neglected, mistreated or abandoned animals every year and they deserved a state of the art facility which was functional and futureproofed, she said.
‘‘You only have to visit the current shelter to know how dilapidated and ad-hoc the facilities are but now we can focus on the light at the end of the tunnel.
‘‘This will be the last winter the animals and staff will have to endure in those rundown buildings and that’s fantastic news.’’