Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter staff balances running current shelter with building new one

New facility is in the third and final phase of construction

February 09, 2012|By ROXANN MILLER | roxann.miller@herald-mail.com

By Roxann Miller, Staff Writer

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — The staff at the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter has become accustomed to juggling.

While trying to operate its current shelter at 2325 Country Road in Chambersburg, the shelter also is raising money to build a new shelter at 5051 Letterkenny Road West.

Now in the third and final phase of construction, the new home for the shelter is close to being completed, but time is critical because the current facility is overflowing with cats and dogs in need of new homes.

“The (current) shelter just doesn’t fit our needs — it’s too small and antiquated,” said Bill Gour, director of development for the shelter. “The new shelter will be state of the art and have plenty of room.”

The new building, which is being built on an 11.2-acre plot, will provide room for about 130 cats and 70 dogs — almost twice as many as the current shelter accommodates, Gour said.

Jennifer Vanderau, the shelter’s director of communications, said it’s a delicate balancing act to keep the current facility operating while raising funds for the $4.2 million Rallying to Relocate Capital Campaign.

“Sometimes, we have to split our fundraisers between the (capital) campaign and operating the current shelter,” Vanderau said.

The capital campaign is $1.4 million shy of reaching its goal.

So far, community support has been overwhelming, Gour said.

Since ground was broken on the new shelter site in September 2009, the capital campaign has raised nearly $3 million, including almost $600,000 in in-kind donations.

The goal is to occupy the new shelter this year, Gour said.

“We’re ready to move in. It just depends on the money coming in,” Gour said.

The shelter recently held a spaghetti dinner that raised about $10,000 to help offset operating expenses at the current shelter. Annual operating expenses are about $600,000, Gour said.

The shelter’s next fundraiser is the Party for Pets Zumbathon on Friday, Feb. 24, at 6:30 p.m. at the Big Spring Event Center in Newville, Pa. Tickets cost $15, with proceeds benefiting the Rallying to Relocate Capital Campaign.

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