FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – On Thursday, representatives with Humane Fort Wayne announced plans for a Capital Campaign to help in funding a new facility off Leesburg Road.
Saying that they have outgrown their current space on Hanna Street – they are hoping to raise the final $1.5 million dollars for the new facility.
Humane Fort Wayne is hoping for community donations to help it break ground come springtime.
Humane Fort Wayne released the following:
On Thursday, February 16, 2023 at 10:00am, Humane Fort Wayne announced the public phase launch of their Capital Campaign, entitled “Homeward Bound”.
Over the past 70 years, Humane Fort Wayne has grown from a humble shelter for homeless pets to being a trusted and comprehensive resource for animal welfare in northeast Indiana. And now, the organization says, it has outgrown its ability to meet the needs of the community and contain the entire scope of its programs and services in its existing facilities.
The organization plans to construct the new facility on just over five acres at 901 Leesburg Road in Fort Wayne. The site has been designed to house Humane Fort Wayne’s shelter and clinic operations in approximately 25,000 square feet – three times the size of the organization’s existing shelter footprint.
“For the last ten years, we’ve worked hard to create innovative programs and services to best serve the needs of both homeless animals as well as animals who already have homes. I know this community will invest in us as we look to the bright future of even better animal welfare in northeast Indiana,” said Jessica Henry-Johnson, Humane Fort Wayne’s Executive Director.
Humane Fort Wayne leadership states that the new facility will be named in memory of the late Sharon Bodenhafer (an animal lover extraordinaire) and will enable the organization to house twice as many cats and dogs as their current shelter on Hanna Street. Additionally, the new facility will feature a state of the art clinic for spay/neuter and wellness services, an indoor dog training space, as well as education and volunteer centers.
The organization does plan to maintain a presence on the city’s southeast side by repurposing its existing shelter on Hanna Street as the headquarters for its outreach and pet retention programs. This change will bring the state of Indiana’s first and only freestanding social service agency for pets and their people to Fort Wayne.
Humane Fort Wayne is seeking public support to raise the final $1.5 million dollars needed to fully fund the construction of the new facility, with hopes of ground breaking in spring 2023.
For more information about Humane Fort Wayne and how you can support the capital campaign, click here
