A planned green facility for the Dutchess County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DCSPCA) has something for everyone: more spacious living accommodations for animals, education rooms for the community and even an environmentally friendly artificial wetland.
Currently in the design stage, the eco-friendly building will include the manmade wetland as a system for managing waste and storm water runoff, which students can visit and study.
“It’s a way of giving back to the community,” said Joyce Garrity, executive director of the DCSPCA. “Our intent is to make it greener than LEED (the Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design building standards program) is green.”
Designed by architect Rolando Kraeher, the new shelter will be built alongside the old one (which will be used for animal intake) on the DCSPCA’s 30-acre site at 636 Violet Ave. in Hyde Park. Construction is set to begin next year.
What you can expect of the new facility depends on your species:
• Cats will roam free in a cage-less, “free range” room with plenty of compartments for perching and windows for peering. For felines that “prefer a more solitary existence,” as Garrity puts it, “cat condos” make prime real estate.
• Dogs, who reside in kennels, will get indoor rooms for exercise and training.
• Humans, too, will benefit from more space for adoption and education. Rooms will be dedicated to pet training and classes for children and adults on proper care and treatment.
The SPCA, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, was established in Dutchess 136 years ago, and its current 6,000 square foot shelter was built in 1960. While that may not sound old for a typical building, Garrity said the intense bleaching and disinfecting that takes place at a shelter rapidly corrodes surfaces. The new facility will be made of modern materials that are more durable, easier to clean and designed to withstand heavy wear.
With the new building, the no-kill shelter will also expand its capacity for four-legged friends. Currently, it takes in up to 200 cats at a time, but that capacity will double. Capacity for dogs will leap from 60 to about 90.
An important mission
About 1,500 animals make their way to the shelter each year via one of three ways. Under New York State Humane Law, the SPCA takes animals that have been cruelly mistreated. Three humane law enforcement officers investigate allegations of abuse throughout the county. The agency also provides animal control for several municipalities, taking in strays from Hyde Park, Pleasant Valley and other towns. The strays are held for a certain time period, giving owners a chance to reclaim them before they are put up for adoption.
The shelter also accepts animals from people who wish to give up their pets through private surrender. The process requires an appointment, but animals are occasionally abandoned on the site – those are accepted, too. “It’s unfortunate, but I’d rather that, than have them dumped out it the woods,” said Garrity.
Owners who come to the SPCA exasperated by a pet’s behavior are offered counseling and pet training. Cash-strapped owners can take advantage of a pet pantry. Another common reason for surrendering a pet is the owner’s failure to have considered the many years’ commitment required to take an animal into the home – a factor Garrity urges would-be owners to consider: “A pet is a member of the family,” she said. “(Ownership) involves some planning. You wouldn’t leave your grandmother behind.”
Generosity
Several major donations have positioned the DCSPCA halfway toward its goal of raising $3 million to build the new facility. A discretionary gift of more than $687,000 from the estate of Hyde Park psychiatrist, Dr. Edith Har-Esh, was directed to the SPCA by the estate executor, Marco Caviglia, in December 2006. Other groups and individuals have since made significant contributions: The Dyson Foundation contributed $300,000; the Jane W. Nuhn Charitable Trust donated $240,000; the and ASPCA, a national organization, contributed $100,000. DCSPCA’s board of directors, the Animal Farm Foundation and private donors have also contributed.
“We’ve done very well up to this point and generated considerable enthusiasm,” said Garrity: “We’ll continue to fundraise through the design and construction phases. I’m confident we’ll reach our and goal and even exceed it.
“We’re so very grateful to the public for embracing our project and supporting the SPCA for over 100 years,” she added.