Angels Camp, CA…The Calaveras Humane Society announced today that it has purchased a building in Angels Camp to renovate and open as a full-service animal shelter in late 2018. The property, located at 1209 Highway 49 near Spence Ranch Feed and Supply and Angels Camp Veterinary Hospital, will be remodeled to include housing for dogs, cats, and small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs, as well as office spaces, get acquainted rooms, grooming areas and more.

“At 4,000 square feet, it’s the perfect size to become our new headquarters and first shelter,” said Executive Director Dee Dee Drake. “We will have plenty of room to comfortably house our animal guests while they wait to be adopted into their new homes, and space to make the adoption experience pleasant and enjoyable for all involved.”

The Calaveras Humane Society’s shelter will be a “no kill” facility, defined in the industry as an agency with a live release rate above 90%. “We will primarily accept owner surrendered animals from the public on a space-available basis,” Drake said. “Because they must give priority housing to stray dogs and cats, Calaveras County Animal Services sometimes needs to turn away people seeking to rehome their own pets. The Calaveras Humane Society will provide a safety net by taking in many of these animals that may otherwise have been abandoned, as space allows.” The Calaveras Humane Society is not a tax-funded government agency, and therefore cannot perform direct intake of stray animals.

However, the organization also plans to accept transferred pets from both the local government shelter and beyond. “We will be able to take transfers from other shelters to help relieve their overcrowding. Many of our area’s stray pets are currently sent to organizations and rescues outside the county for adoption once their holding period is up. We look forward to enabling many of these former strays to be adopted right here in Calaveras,” said Drake.

Selecting pets to transfer from shelters throughout Northern California will also ensure that the Calaveras Humane Society has a steady population of desirable animals available to the public. “The shelters we’ve already talked to are thrilled at the prospect of transferring some of their highly adoptable pets to us,” said Drake. “Some of these shelters are located in communities where wonderful, loving dogs and cats are tragically euthanized on a regular basis. We’re so pleased that we can help to find them homes in Calaveras County.”

The Calaveras Humane Society currently houses its pets in volunteer foster homes, and will continue this practice for underage kittens and puppies even after the new facility is completed. “Foster homes will remain an essential part of what we do,” said Drake. “We wouldn’t be able to accept those ‘special needs’ surrenders unless they had a cozy home environment where they can recover from an illness or injury, or just grow old enough for adoption.”

Funding for the remodel and operation of the Calaveras Humane Society’s shelter project is being made possible via donations, bequests, income from the organization’s Arnold thrift store and community support. The seed money for the project came from the late Barbara Brooks, one of the organization’s founders. In addition, “a wonderful individual has already donated to make our Feline Center, the cat half of the facility, possible,” Drake said. “We have other naming opportunities available and encourage potential supporters to contact us.”

The Calaveras Humane Society will continue its other programs and services once the new shelter, slated to open in Fall 2018, is launched, including its Feral Feline Program, spay/neuter vouchers, veterinary assistance for low-income seniors and families, and more. Adoptions of cats will continue at the agency’s feline adoption room in its thrift store in Arnold.

“I can’t think of a better way to be celebrating our first 40 years than by opening this shelter for the people and pets of our community,” said Drake. “Our new home will allow us to help so many, humans and animals alike, to find the happy endings they deserve.”

Founded in 1978, the Calaveras Humane Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of companion animals in the Calaveras area. The Calaveras Humane Society receives no government/tax resources, and relies solely on public donations, grants, and revenue from its Arnold thrift store to fund its operations.