All About the Dogs!

Hoopeston Animal Rescue Team (HART) is excited to launch our next building campaign and it’s all going towards the dogs! (Last spring it was all about the cats!)
Now we need to focus on our dogs. When HART was formed, we took over a dated veterinary clinic, which we now own.  The existing kennels were not built to be long term homes, but as HART is a no-kill animal rescue and shelter, we do house our dogs until they find a home. The current dog  kennel has two areas, both are dark,  with no natural light, cramped and loud. The individual kennels are not only too small, but they are rusting, out-of-date, and in some cases falling apart. Some are being held together with orange duct tape.   To make matters worse, for the dogs to reach the outdoor area where they are able to have some  fresh air, sunshine, and grass under their feet, they must walk in front of other dogs in a narrow hallway to reach the door. This can be very scary and cause even the most gentle, submissive dog to become fearful.   
We do not currently have a dedicated area to prepare the dog and cat food, fill Kongs, and prep medications; those things are done wherever we can find an open space at the time.  We have an ancient fridge tucked in one room, counter space and cabinets in a hallway,  a large sink and dish drying area tucked in another room, and food storage wherever we can find space.   When potential adopters come to visit, we only have one small viewing room. If we have multiple adopters coming in, we have people sitting in their cars outside and/or lined up in the hallway.  This is not comfortable for our potential adopters or for our adoptable animals. These limitations are causing us to miss out on adoption opportunities. So, what are we looking for? We are looking to expand the back of our building approximately 24' X 40' to include larger dog kennels designed to house more dogs in a more comfortable atmosphere, the new area will also minimize noise and stress.  Included in our design are two larger viewing rooms where potential adopters can spend time meeting adoptable dogs, a dedicated food preparation area that is more streamlined and located in one central location, an enclosed quiet quarantine area for sick dogs, and another area to house dogs recovering from surgery. The new kennel addition will allow us to move all of the dogs out of the existing shelter and into the new addition.  The new addition will allow total separation between dogs and cats, which is healthier for all.  The big question is...HOW MUCH WILL THIS ALL COST?!?!? Current estimates are upwards of $60,000. We are asking our community for help.  Every little bit that you can assist with helps us reach our goal. HART is a no kill, not for profit, registered 501(c)(3) animal rescue. All financial gifts are tax deductible. Any donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to us.  More information about Hoopeston Animal Rescue Team: HART is a registered 501 c 3 (NFP) Gifts are Tax Deductible. We are a No Kill, Open Admissions, Volunteer, Animal Rescue. We believe that Every Pet Matters-No Pet Should Suffer.  HART provides an open door shelter as a no kill, safe environment for lost, unwanted, abused, sick, and injured animals. HART ensures that those animals receive love and medically necessary care to enjoy quality of life and to find FURever homes by way of adoption.