Ground Breaking Press Release
ASHEVILLE, NC Wednesday, October 17, 2007…… Buncombe County and Asheville Humane Society will break ground for a new animal shelter and adoption center at 10 a.m. at the site of the new facility on Pond Road in Asheville.
GROUNDBREAKING SET FOR NEW ANIMAL SHELTER AND ADOPTION CENTER
ASHEVILLE, NC Wednesday, October 17, 2007…… Buncombe County and Asheville Humane Society will break ground for a new animal shelter and adoption center at 10 a.m. at the site of the new facility on Pond Road in Asheville. The $5 million complex will be built on land donated to AHS by Ann and Bob Lewis of Deal Motorcars, and will almost triple the size of the current facility on Lee’s Creek Road .
Buncombe County will build an 18,000 square foot animal shelter
with funds allocated by Buncombe County commissioners in 2004. The
shelter will provide stress-reducing animal housing for quarantined,
lost and found animals, as well as Buncombe County Animal Control.
Asheville Humane Society will build an 11,000 square foot Adoption
and Education Center with privately raised funds. The adoption and
education center will provide a healthy, low-stress, family-friendly
environment to house cats, dogs, and other animals that are ready for
adoption. The center has been designed to provide ample space,
state-of-the-art noise and disease control, and stress-reducing animal
housing, improvements which will greatly increase adoption placements,
saving the lives of countless animals.
Shelter alumnus and project spokesdog, “ Chester ,” will be on hand
to supervise as shelter and community dogs help us break ground. AHS
campaign spokespeople, Andie MacDowell and Brad Daugherty, have been
invited to attend with their pets. Refreshments will be served for dogs
and humans.
“These buildings not only represent a remarkable joint effort
between Asheville Humane Society and Buncombe County,” states AHS Board
Chair Carole Hartness, “but they represent a lifeline, a doorway of
hope for the many animals that deserve a second chance at finding a
loving home. On behalf of the animals, thank you to the many people who
have played a part in bringing this project from a vision into a
reality.”
“We are excited to be a part of this new day for animals and animal adoption in our County,” says Commissioner David Young.
“This is a giant step in our “Countdown to Zero” efforts in this County. I look forward to the day when every adoptable animal that is taken in by the shelter is adopted out through the new adoption and education facility. It’s a lofty goal but one I am proud to say that we have set for ourselves,” says Commissioner David Gantt.
For information about the groundbreaking, AHS or the new AHS Adoption and Education Center , contact Carolyn Paden, AHS Director of Public Relations at 236-3885 x 311, cell 606-8428 or publicrelations@ashevillehumane.org.
For information about the new Buncombe County Animal Shelter,
contact Kathy Hughes, Clerk to the Board of Commissioners/Public
Relations Director , 828-250-4105 or Kathy.Hughes@buncombecounty.org
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Asheville Humane Society is dedicated to the respectful, humane treatment of animals and providing helpful animal services to the people of our community. We are a 501(c)3 charity. Tax ID 56-1444098.
