Another vote planned for animal shelter
The controversial decision to sell a partially-built animal shelter south of Bonners Ferry could be reversed.
Second Chance Animal Adoption's board chose to sell the property because it believed it would cost $1 million to complete the shelter. The issue will now go before the non-profit agency's members for another vote on April 7.
The former board president of Second Chance, who supports the continued construction of the 9,000-square-foot shelter on Highway 95, feels confident members will vote against selling. By doing so, George Miller believes the shelter at the top of Peterson Hill could be open by this fall.
“The membership will say ‘not to sell,'” Miller told The Herald. “We've been in touch with the membership. A lot people in the community are concerned about the sale of the property. We have 80 new members. A lot of people came to us to find out what was going on.”
“If they go to something new, it will be another two to three years,” he said. “If people vote to sell, we'll back off and let it go. It's not a personal thing.”
The board in January indicated the agency was in over its head with the new shelter and had decided to sell it and surrounding 20 acres for $324,000.
Assuming the land is sold, Second Chance expects to have money to build at another location.
“If we start over, we are looking at a much smaller structure,” Rhonda Hamerslough, current board president told about 30 people during a Saturday open house at the unfinished facility. “We'll need about $400,000. We are looking at the city donating property and will contract with the city and county to keep animals).”
Second Chance currently keeps cats at its Thrift Store at 6647 Lincoln St. in Bonners Ferry and has foster homes for dogs.
Several years ago, $300,000 was left to the agency from an estate. Another person donated $10,000 for the shelter.
The 20 acres was purchased and construction began on the shelter. Construction was stopped in September 2005, after about $200,000 from the $300,000 contribution has been spent.
When the new board took over, they could not find blueprints and there were concerns about operating costs.
Miller did not want to tell the The Herald why construction was halted, but noted the shelter was designed by volunteers.
“It was designed by what we were working with and thought would work good for us and the animals in Boundary County,” he said.
The current board is also concerned with having just one central drain for the 26 kennels. Additional drains cannot be added because of the hydronic heating system.
Former board member Ron Eliassen noted the drains were only for washing down floors, not for removing feces. The Panhandle Health District requires feces be scooped up and not washed down a drain.
Eliassen and Miller also believe it would take $200,000 to complete the building - not $1 million. And it should not cost much to operate the shelter.
“The floor heating for a building of that size (should cost) $100 a month in the winter,” Miller said. “It's the least expensive way to heat.”
Second Chance will host a second open house at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 30.
During Saturday's open house, Dr. Marty Becker noted that he has been involved with building 10 veterinary hospitals.
“Drains and ventilation are the main issues,” said Becker, who has not taken sides on the issue. “Every two to three kennels needs separate drains.