The Wisconsin Humane Society is launching a $5.4 million capital campaign to build a new facility in Mount Pleasant to replace its Racine campus.
The Humane Society plan to build a new animal shelter and adoption center at the northeast corner of 16th and 90th streets. The building would feature expanded animal housing, community space and a modern veterinary clinic for shelter animals.
The organization purchased the property at 8635 Washington Ave. in December 2016 from Naperville, Ill.-based Illinois Property Solutions for $150,000.
The Humane Society has been in Racine County since 2013 when it acquired the former Countryside Humane Society and assumed responsibilities for animal control, animal care and adoption services for more than 4,000 animals in the county.
The current 7,500-square-foot building at 2706 Chicory Road was originally constructed as a potato barn and despite upgrades to the facility over the years, it lacks the space for veterinary care, behavior evaluations, appropriate housing and community services, according to the organization.
“We need to get the animals out of our Chicory Road facility,” said Anne Reed, president and CEO of WHS. “The building is inadequate for the needs of the community. It’s crowded, noisy, challenging to keep clean and doesn’t allow for proper segregation of healthy and sick animals. It’s simply too small. In addition, there is no community space for kids or families to engage with our work. But we need the community’s support to make this vision a reality.”
The organization has raised $1 million to date, with lead gifts from Imogene Johnson and Helen Johnson-Leipold, the Johnson Family Foundation, Bill and Mary Walker, Mark and Bridget Kirkish, and SC Johnson.
Reed said there will be naming opportunities with the new facility, ranging from dog kennels to the entire building.
