Shelter Addition Receives $50,000 Boost
Construction on the animal shelter’s new operatory addition to begin this month
By Molly Priddy
The Flathead County Animal Shelter got a major boost for its new surgery addition with a $50,000 grant from a national animal advocacy group.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) donated the $50,000 as part of its Northern Tier Shelter Initiative Grants program, which provide funding to qualified shelters in Alaska, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota and Washington.
On May 26, the Flathead County Commission opened the bids for the animal shelter’s new operatory addition, wherein the shelter’s medical staff can perform more and better surgeries for the cats and dogs at the shelter.
Currently, the shelter uses an adjacent trailer for its veterinary needs, and the new operatory suite will be added on to the back of the shelter. The ASPCA grant will cover the cost of some of the surgical equipment for the new space.
The commission was scheduled on June 9 to sign a contract with Meredith Construction, which bid $190,000 for the addition project. Meredith Construction was the only company to enter a bid for the expansion.
Shelter director Cliff Bennett said construction should start at the end of the month.
The animal shelter recently finished two years worth of work on other expansions, including a new area just for cats and another area just for small dogs. Other recent construction projects at the shelter have included new kennels and living space for canine inhabitants, as well as air filtration systems to ward off sickness.