It has been a long time coming but the Erath County Humane Society will soon have a new building.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Friday, June 27 for the new facility which will be constructed on a 17-acre piece of land located at 1300 CR 454 in Stephenville.
“It’s kind of hard to look back at where we’ve been and where we are now. There has been a lot of ups and downs for this organization over the years and there have been times where we weren’t sure we were ever going to get to this point,” Vice President Drake Warren said. “It’s hard to put into words. It’s kind of a surreal feeling to actually be here standing here breaking ground.”
During the event, Grace who is now the shelter’s adopted dog welcomed pets and belly rubs from the many humane society supporters in attendance. Grace, who is an Anatolian Pyrenees, has lived in the shelter for 9 years and is 11 years old.
The 13-14,000 sq. ft. facility which is being built and donated at a discounted rate by Prime Metal Buildings and Components will offer the Humane Society the chance to enjoy a much needed expansion.
The facility will have 64 dog kennels as well as a yet-undermined number of cat kennels.
There will also be separate quarantine areas for both cats and dogs.
Prime Metal Buildings and Components isn’ttheonlyentity who has been in the giving spirit for the project with JB Farm & Ranch contracting, City Electric, Croell Concrete and Iron Horse Plumbing all offering services at discounted rates to help out in Phase 1 of the project.
A major donor for the project is Crossroads Foundation, which gave the Humane Society a $200,000 grant in order to purchase the new property, and an additional $500,000 for use in Phase 1, which includes dirt work, the foundation, plumbing, electrical and the building shell for the facility.
“I’m looking forward to a new facility that looks nice, has more room and we can have less worry of sickness for puppies and kittens,” Humane Society Executive Director Serena Wright said.
A major change that will benefit the animals of Erath County will be no more dogs outside having to deal with extreme heat, cold or flooding.
Those who are wanting to help the Humane Society can do so in a variety of ways including donating funds and materials when requested, adopting, fostering, volunteering, vaccinating, microchipping and spay and neutering their pets.
To see pets that are up for adoption, go to erathcountyhumanesociet y. com.
An exact date of opening the new facility is not yet known, but the building is supposed to arrive in September. When the new facility is complete, the current facility will be closed down, and the land will revert back to the city of Stephenville.
After the conclusion of the ceremony, supporters were invited to take a look at plans, enjoy much needed bottles of water and refreshments.
After the ceremony came to a close, a doe and fawn bounded into view while the animal lovers were discussing the new location. The deer stopped in full view of the group, giving everyone a chance to enjoy the moment and know it is the right spot to offer shelter to the county’s cats and dogs as they seek a home of their own.