Renovations

The existing AWS animal shelter was built in 1987 to house a very limited number of dogs and cats. As our county has grown, so too has the demand for our services. Every year, over 500 dogs, puppies, cats and kittens pass through our doors. Unfortunately, we often have to turn people away as we are full. It pains us to have to turn away animals in need.

But too often we wind up as a “dumping ground” for unwanted pets - abandoned at the shelter after hours in the dark! We need additional space so that we can serve more furry friends every year. We need a dedicated isolation room to prevent the spread of disease when new arrivals come to us.

And after over 24 years, things are wearing out. We’ve had to make some very significant financial expenditures to keep our animals healthy and comfortable. Heating & cooling systems have been replaced. Simply put, we need a significant update and renovation of our shelter. We need to bring our facility up to a state of the art shelter that’s built around the animals we serve and that will allow us to increase the number of animals we serve each year safely and without overcrowding. We desperately need a dedicated isolation area so that incoming animals can be separated from others to prevent the spread of disease until they can be fully vaccinated and ready for adoption.

Anne Marie Kohlhepp, a member of our Board of Directors chairs our capital development fundraising committee. Anne Marie has written a Shelter Renovation News item that can be viewed by clicking here. [Shelter Renovation News]

We are currently preparing to work with an architect to establish needs and develop drawings. However, working with Todd and Alicia Secatello, owners of Shenandoah Building and Excavating, who have volunteered their talents and company time at no cost to AWS,

We have established a dedicated and restricted capital renovation fund. Money donated to that fund is for renovation purposes only. To date, we have raised nearly $14,000 but have a long way to go. All proceeds from our annual February Purrfect Valentines dinner are dedicated to the capital renovation project.

We would appreciate your support! Please make a donation either by mail or through the link below. We thank you and the homeless,abused and abandoned domestic pets of Jefferson County thank you too.

Our architect, Lynn Welsh is currently working on “the plan.” We’ll be building a new structure that will be attached to the existing shelter and once complete, renovate the existing building. These changes will essentially double our space and provide dedicated isolation facilities and twice the number of dog runs. Cats will also enjoy major improvements in space too.

Lynn previously designed Inwood Animal Center, Kingdom Animal Hospital, Cumberland Valley Veterinary Hospital, Buckeystown Vet Hospital and the Valley Veterinary Emergency Center. She’s a registered architect in West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia. Her address is PO Box 147, Summit Point, WV 25446