After years of planning and three months of extensive earthwork, the outline for the new 19,000-square-foot home of The Humane Society of Harford County is under construction at 2208 Connolly Road in Fallston.
Concrete brick foundation walls are expected to rise up shortly. Towson Mechanical, Inc., the general contractor for the project, is scheduled to complete the facility by late summer or early fall 2015.
"While this is a momentous occasion, our work is not yet complete," the local Humane Society's Executive Director Mary Leavens said. "The current cost estimate for the project, which includes capital costs as well as related ancillary costs, is approximately $7.5 million."
Since Humane Society's operation serves as the official animal shelter for Harford County, the county has committed $6 million toward the design and capital costs of the new shelter.
"The rest is up to us," Leavens said.
The goal of the Gimme Shelter capital campaign is raising $1.5 million to bridge that gap and create additional reserves for construction and operational contingencies and future programs. Money raised will be used for items such as medical equipment and supplies, power wash cleaning systems, security and phone systems, computers, copiers and printers, a back-up generator, construction of a storage pole barn and other related expenses.
The Humane Society of Harford County was started in 1947 when it was started by Elsa Voss. It runs the county's longest continuously operating animal shelter – and in the same farmhouse where it began.
"It is very clear that our current facility was never designed to serve as a permanent animal shelter," Leavens said. "Providing even the most basic services for the animals in our aging facility is extraordinarily challenging."
Infrastructure issues that affect the facility include floors that sag; ventilation systems that require constant maintenance; old building materials and methods that do not restrict the spread of airborne contaminants and odors; drain pipes that frequently break and clog; and an overall structure that is cracking and crumbling.
Gifts to the shelter's effort can be made securely online at http://www.harfordshelter.org. Gifts by check should be made payable to The Humane Society of Harford County and mailed to: The Humane Society of Harford County, Attn: Gimme Shelter, 2208 Connolly Road, Fallston, MD 21047.