The public is invited to SafeHaven Humane Society’s grand opening celebration from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, at its new 33,000-square-foot facility at 32220 Old Highway 34 in Tangent.
The grand opening will feature 50 percent off all adoption fees, activities for children, dog training and agility demonstrations and facility tours. Free cold drinks and 25 cent hot dogs will be available between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Several of SafeHaven’s rescue partners, including Senior Dog Rescue and Pet Adoption Network, will also be on hand with some of their adoptable animals.
SafeHaven Humane Society’s capital campaign to build the new pet adoption and education center kicked off in 2010. The first phase of the project has been completed and includes pet adoption areas, fenced exercise yards, a behavioral and training center, bathing and grooming facilities, laundry facilities, storage, pet food bank storage and distribution, isolation and quarantine areas, administrative space, a community education room, infrastructure (mechanical, plumbing and electrical), and structural and energy efficiency improvements.
The humane society is still in the process of raising an additional $2.4 million needed to implement phase 2 of the campaign, which includes completing the medical side of services, including the veterinary care center, including exam rooms, a surgical room, quarantine areas for both dogs and cats, and a reception/intake area for owner-released animals.
When complete, the new SafeHaven facility will more than double the current capacity in numbers of dogs and cats the humane society is able to serve. The outreach and educational program areas will also increase providing SafeHaven the opportunity to better serve the community with expanded family activities, adult and youth humane education programs, canine behavioral training and more.
SafeHaven is working with architect, Architectural Werks, and contractor, R.L. Reimers Company, on the project.
SafeHaven Humane Society is a private, not-for-profit organization that has been providing services to Linn County and surrounding communities for 40 years. For more information, visit safehavenhumane.org.