Struthers animal shelter fundraising, aiming to move, construct new facility
New Lease on Life Animal Rescue, located at 2773 East Midlothian Boulevard in Struthers, is raising money, aiming to move their base of operations to the City of Campbell.
Maria Guyen, the Director of New Lease on Life Rescue, told 21 News on Monday that although the shelter has been at its East Midlothian Boulevard location for 15 years, conditions on the inside of the building have steadily gotten worse in that time.
Guyen says that damage to the building started years ago due to a failing roof, causing extensive water damage that has cost the shelter money and usable space, and has contributed to mold concerns.
"We have lost thousands of dollars of equipment. We actually just had to get rid of two entire truckloads of equipment just yesterday because it's completely damaged by not only water but also mold," said Guyen.
Guyen had posted a video to Facebook on Saturday, outlining some of the damage, with tiles having fallen out of the ceiling in some portions of the facility.
Animals that were being held in these portions of the shelter, Guyen notes, have been moved out of those areas for their safety. However, she states that even those portions of the facility could become unlivable.
Guyen says that she hopes to relocate the New Lease on Life animal shelter to a new location in Campbell, but a facility needs to be constructed first, and that will take time and funding.
"We're building from scratch. The City of Campbell has sold us a four-acre plot of land," said Guyen.
The new facility in Campbell would be located at the corner of Jefferson Street and Murray Avenue and include over 5,000 square feet of fenced-in land and a large multi-purpose room that Guyen says could be used for community programs like low-cost vaccine clinics, low-cost spay and neuter clinics and other outreach initiatives.
Additionally, Guyen says that there would be an opportunity for expansion within the four total acres.
Fundraising has begun in the effort to build the potential shelter, and as of Monday, February 9, a total of $7,000 has been raised.
"We are trying to get this project off the ground as quickly as possible because we don't have years to make this happen - it has to happen within months," said Guyen.
More information for those looking to donate can be found on the New Lease on Life Facebook page.
