Local Animal Shelter Kicks Off Capital Campaign

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Lewis & Clark Humane Society reveals plans for new shelter

The greater Helena area needs a new and more effective animal shelter. The existing shelter, originally built in the 1960’s, can no longer meet the needs of the area’s rapidly growing human and pet population. Too often the facility is at full capacity, forcing staff to turn away pets in need of shelter or euthanize dogs and cats, many of whom could be given a second chance through simple training and be turned from animals with behavioral problems to adoptable animals, but due to our lack of room in our current facilities, often times euthanization must occur to make room for new animals that are more adoptable. With more space, the shelter is given more time to work with animals that could easily be adoptable with some basic training. “We are very excited to have a new building that is designed to house animals more efficiently for the staff, but more importantly to increase the mental stimulation and health of the animals in our care,” says Executive Director Gina Wiest.

The clean, attractive design will attract visitors, leading to increased adoption rates and a reduction in the need to euthanize animals. Equally important, the new shelter will serve as a community resource. The facility will hold spay and neuter clinics, pet training sessions, workshops on responsible pet ownership, and other public education sessions aimed at preventing pet problems and reducing the number of unwanted animals in need of shelter and adoption.
The Lewis and Clark Humane Society will also announce the theme for its capital campaign, “The Pathway Home.” The campaign will raise funds for the new shelter to provide more healthy and humane conditions for unwanted and stray cats and dogs and to fund new community education programs. Board President Dan Anderson expands by saying, “While constructing a new building is a key initiative, it is only part of the story.  Through our planning process, we identified key programs that are critical to enhance our service delivery and to set the stage for the next 25 years. Our expanded facility will enable the Lewis & Clark Humane Society to make an evolutionary transition from an intervention facility to a prevention facility. We will be adding educational and training components to increase our animal’s success of being placed for adoption through training and other means.”

The LCHS’s goal for the new facility and enhanced public education program is to improve the quality of life in the greater Helena region by helping abandoned or unwanted dogs and cats find “The Pathway Home” to new and loving families.

This 17,800 square foot new building will have little resemblance to what the LCHS currently calls home. The new facility will have capacity to up to 90 dogs and 176 cats, helping the staff increase our already high adoption rates, as it will also decrease our euthanasia rates. It will not only make adoptions and animal care more efficient, but it will be a more welcoming building with stress reducing natural light, and separate lobbies for the different services we provide.

At the press conference we will be signing a lease option for the land, which the City is making available to us for $10/year. The Board of the LCHS has hired one of the top animal shelter architectural firms in the country and they have designed a new shelter to fit this land. At the press conference we will be showing a 3-D rendering of the planned new facility and introducing Ben Thompson, our architect from Daggett + Griggs, and Byron Stahly of Stahly Engineering & Associates, our engineer on the project. We will also being introducing Dr. Scott Rodin, president of Rodin Consulting, Inc. who is leading the campaign fundraising efforts.

This is a day of celebration and vision for our future. As a friend and supporter of the LCHS, we would be privileged to have you share this moment with us.

If you would like more information about this topic, or schedule an interview, please call Tyler at
406/ 442-7401 ext. 211 or 406/465-9998 or email him at lchsdevelopment@mt.net.

Lewis & Clark Humane Society
2112 E. Custer Avenue • P.O. Box 4455 • Helena, Montana 59604 • Phone: (406) 442-1660 • Fax: (406) 457-9446
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