Animal Center Poised to Open

An animal center that's taken ten years and 6.5 million dollars to come to fruition is almost finished. Construction on the McKamey Animal center began nearly two years ago.. and today is a sneak preview.

The finishing touches are now being put on the McKamey Animal Center that took ten years to finish and six point five million dollars to build.

"It took a long time because we wanted to make sure we were building the best facility that we possibly could for this community construction takes time, raising funds takes time," says McKamey Animal Center Outreach Coordinator, Donna Deweese.

The non profit organization has been raising their own funds for the twenty six thousand square foot building for four years but construction got off the ground two years ago with the help of private and public donors.

"The reason the city and the pub has funded this center is becuase the pub demanded it we are here because this is what the public requested for their community," says Deweese.

The McKamey Center will be splitting that demand and their funding with the Humane Society. Right now, the Humane society takes in about fifteen thousand animals from both the city and coutny each year. Now animals in the city will come here, and so will the city's funding. The Humane Society says they will be competing for funds but their focus is on the animals.

Director for the Humane Society, Guy Bilyeu says, "the bigger picture, our mission and our goal is to do everything we can to educate the public and provide for the animals in the community that are lost abandoned and abused."

McKamey Animal Center says just because they're opening their doors, doesn't mean they're finished raising money needed for equipment food and toys. However for now they're focusing on finishing a building that is long overdue.