The Border Paws Animal Shelter held a soft opening at its new location last Thursday and are excited to get the finishing touches on the new building. Meridian Source Photo
There was cause to celebrate the protection of vulnerable paws as the Border Paws Animal Shelter opened its new facility to the public.
Previously known as the Lloydminster and District SPCA for over 50 years, Border Paws is now located in its new home at 5206 63 St. Lloydminster, Alta.
The shelter hosted a soft opening/open house last Thursday afternoon for media, community sponsors and builders, which gave the shelter’s staff and volunteers a chance to reflect on the work needed to get to this point.
“A lot of blood sweat and tears went into getting us to where we are today,” said Border Paws’ funding and events coordinator Kandace Letkeman
“Our old building was run down; the roof was starting to fall in and we had mould issues, even space-wise we didn’t have enough room,” she added.
“Here, all of our rooms are separate, we’ve got ventilation and air conditioning in each room, so disease management is much better. We have a lot more space now and this new facility is very clean. I love it.”
As a non-profit organization, the shelter relies on community support to keep the lights on, and in the spirit of transparency, a financial breakdown of the project was provided.
A total of $490K was spent on general renovations, $130K on heating, plumbing and ventilation, $145K on dog kennels, $95K on cat kennels, and $80K on the shelter’s outdoor area.
The City of Lloydminster also approved a $300K grant earlier this month to help the shelter pay for those final touches.
“This is something we’ve worked together on for so long, and to be able to have the City’s backing means so much,” said Border Paws president, Amanda Williams.
“The money will be used to help with the general renovation costs, specifically the kennels and backyard grading, as well as some of the final touches we need to get it up and running.”
The official request to council for funding was made in February and Williams noted it was nice to finally have an answer.
“It’s amazing,” she said.
For Letkeman, one of the biggest changes since moving into the new space is the animal’s overall happiness.
“The animals are much happier here,” she said. “Back at the old shelter, it was very dark and gloomy and they couldn’t see outside. Now they can see outside and we can also walk the dogs in the green space behind the facility.”
Letkeman also noted everyone at Border Paws is looking forward to being able to house more animals while also having a better handle on disease management with the new ventilation system.
“We’ll have healthy animals all the time,” she said, adding the fact the new facility is more than just an animal shelter.
“We even have a multi-purpose room that you can rent and host birthday parties, yoga nights, you name it, and we incorporate the animals into that,” she said.
With kitten season on the horizon, Border Paws is bracing for an influx in four-legged furry friends and is looking forward to working with the community to adopt them out.
