Humane Society of Yuma

New Shelter Project

Capital Campaign Leadership

Executive Director
SHAWN SMITH

Campaign Chairperson
CRISTYN WEIL

Board of Directors

Campaign Coordinator
MOLLY BOWES

JOHN WEIL, PRESIDENT

CHUCK NORDQUIST, VICE PRESIDENT

DAN MONTOYA, SECRETARY

PAGE MISENHIMER, TREASURER

KAREN BARCKLAY

GREG BUSHELL

VICKI KERLEY

SHERRELL JUDISH

LARRY PIKULA
KYLA SMITH

JOHN TOWNSEND

To ensure the humane treatment of all animals, reducethe number ofhomelesspets, andpromote
the value and importance animals contribute to ourlives and community.
- Mission Statement, Humane Society of Yuma

An Overdue Change for Yuma

1947-1954
An early
city pound
along the
river bank,
which
remains in
operation
until local
citizens
officially
protest.

1954
1950
Located at the
intersection of Fortuna
Road & old Highway
80, the newly formed
Yuma Co. Humane
Societys stated mission
was to rescue pets that
had been lost or
dropped off by passing
visitors or travelers.

A dog pact is
created between
the county & city
to create a pound
and reduce
financial
responsibilities
for the new
rabies & dog
licensing
legislation.

1954 -1965
Situated in the city dump,
the city-county pound housed
30 to 40 animals and was the
subject of much controversy.
Summer temperatures were
regulated by shade trees and
breezes. The Health Dept.
eventually assumes control
of the pound.

No dog is in that
pound unless
it or its owners
violated the law or
did something
wrong. It is a jail or
a prison for the
animal.
Some people would
have
us make conditions
better there than in
their own homes.
- Bill Rice, Head of the
City-County Heath
Department in response
to the community letter
writing campaign to
improve shelter
conditions, June, 1963

2010
The
population
of Yuma,
Co. reaches
205, 940,
more than

1964
FINE STRUCTURE - The
artists conception of the
proposed Yuma Animal
shelter...proposed for the 600
block on Madison Avenue at the
foot of Black Hill. The site is in
dispute and may be resolved at
the meeting of the Yuma
County Board of Supervisors
tomorrow morning.

1965 - Present
HSOYS shelter is
built at its current
site, 285 Figueroa
Avenue, in 1965.
Yumas population is
approximately a
quarter of what it is
today.

1987
The kennels
are
expanded to
their
current
size. The
population
of Yuma,
Co. is
92,000.

2007
Five acres
of land are
donated at
40th Street
& 4 1/2 E
by the Glen
Curtis
family and
Sam
Perricone.

2009
The
campaign
for a new
shelter
kicks off
at the
first
annual
Fur Ball.

double what
it was when
the shelter
was last
improved
twentythree years
ago during
kennels
expansions.

A New Shelter - A New Lease on Life

The Benefits for the Animals

Improved ventilation and sanitation to reduce the risk of spreading illnesses among adoptable pets
Increased adoptions as a result of centralized location, and more attractive and inviting facilities
Increased owner retention because of fewer facility induced behavioral issues & illnesses
Kennel buildings wired with surround sound provide calming auditory to reduce stress levels in dogs
Well lighted cages highlight canines of all sizes and colors, while access to the outside ensures availability of natural light
and fresh air for healthier, happier and more adoptable dogs
Communal areas allow cats and people to relax, play and interact, while multi-level units promote physical & visual
stimulation

The Benefits for the Community

A high volume, low cost spay & neuter clinic, resulting in reduced feral cat & stray dog populations
Sustainable energy to model responsible business practices and reduce monthly expenses
Expansion of educational programs to include visits to local schools
Reduction in public expenses as education increases, and animal populations and cruelty cases decrease
Memorial Gardens available to families for deceased pets

The Benefits for Pet Owners

A spacious, healthy and welcoming environment for families to meet prospective pets
Designated space to provide obedience training, which will also increase success of animal adoptions
Retail space to provide supplies and literature for pet owners

Left: Destiny arrives at

HSOY, severely
malnourished & suffering
from pneumonia. Below,
left Destiny at HSOYs
2010 Walk & Wag with a
young admirer. Below:
The book, Tails of Hope
features Destinys
remarkable
transformation.

is one of many dogs who arrive at HSOY, not

as a stray, but as a dog suffering from abuse
at the hands of those entrusted to care for her.
Found starved and with severe pneumonia, Destinys recovery
was a long shot, however the staff and volunteers of HSOY were
inspired to fight to give Destiny a life and the love that her owners
had denied her. She was sent to a foster home (see page 15) where
she was placed on a high dosage of antibiotics, breathing
treatments, percussion therapy, and fed every two hours.
During her stay with her foster family, she displayed an
amazing resilience and willingness to trust her caretakers. The
family dachshund Chopper, stayed at Destinys side when she
was too weak to walk, and played with her once she had the
strength to stand. As she gained weight and became healthier
and stronger, Destiny became accustomed to being lead on a
leash and riding in a car, and showered the family with kisses.
When Destiny was rehabilitated, she was sent to Mayday
Pit Bull Rescue & Advocacy of Arizona. It was there that she
was adopted by her current family, who recognized Destinys
potential as a breed ambassador and have introduced her to therapy
work.

Destiny

The Community Joins the Campaign

The Campus - Reserved for David & Donna Elfers
A more centralized location means more adoptions. Located at 40th Street and Avenue 4 ,
the new campus includes designated office space for staff, an on-site Spay & Neuter Clinic
with a veterinarian office, a room for families to meet quietly during their pets final
moments, a Memorial Garden, and an activity park for dogs.

The Adoption Center- Reserved for Sam Perricone & The Curtis Family
Brighter and cleaner facilities means healthier and happier animals and an increase in visitors and adoptions. Dog and
cat Get Acquainted Rooms allow families to interact with shelter pets without distractions. A Cat Community Room
and a canine Activity Park allow animals to exercise, play and interact with other animals and people in order to
maintain their social well-being and adoptability.

The Lobby- Dedications for sponsors who donate $250,000 or more

Visitors are greeted in an airy and well lighted lobby where staff and volunteers can assist families in looking for new
and lost pets. Cat and kitten cages are set slightly back from the main area to provide some solitude while still
attracting foot traffic. Designated retail space will add to the operating revenue while providing pet owners with
supplies and literature for their forever companions.

A Yumans Best Friend

The Kennel Buildings - Three at $150,000 each
A new air circulation, new plumbing systems, and indoor/outdoor
kennels mean better air quality and fewer illnesses for our
communitys dogs. Improved lighting will highlight adoptable dogs
regardless of size or color, and surround sound in one or more of the
kennels will bring soothing sounds to the animals during an
otherwise stressful time in these dogs lives.

The Courtyard/Activity Park - Reserved

for Jim & Vicki Kerley
In an area centralized between two adoption
kennels, the Courtyard/Activity Park will be a
place for staff, volunteers and visitors to socialize
with Yumas homeless dogs. The dogs will
receive time outside exercising their bodies and
minds - essentials in maintaining a dogs
adoptability and decreasing potential behavioral

These are not

throwaway
animals. These
are valuable
members of your
family and they
could save your
life one day.
- Kristebe Quintero

TRIPOD
With little time remaining in the crowded
shelter, Tripod - the small stray with an
amputated leg - was adopted on January 30,
2005 by Kristene & John Quintero. A little
over a week later, the Quintero family would
credit their new pet with saving their lives as
it was Tripod rather than the smoke detector
or the familys purebred Italian Greyhound
that woke the family as the home filled with
smoke from an electrical fire.

Dog Get Acquainted Rooms - Two at $25,000 Each

When a dog is brought to a communal outside space to interact with
perspective adopters, humans sometimes cant compete with the smells,
sounds and sights of the world outside the kennel walls. The Dog Get
Acquainted Room is an interior space that can be easily maintained by staff to
reduce distractions and allow canines to focus on and interact with visiting
families in an intimate setting.

Dog Kennels - $10,000 Each

With about twice the space of HSOYs current kennels, the new dog kennels
will allow dogs access to the outside through sliding doors. These doors
may be secured during kennel cleaning times to decrease the time it takes
to manage the facilities while increasing the amount of time kennel staff
has to socialize the animals. Dogs have access to fresh air and sunshine or
the option to stay inside and curl up and rest on a dog bed with a chew toy.

Puppy Pens - Reserved

Located in an alcove off of the main adoption kennel, these puppy pens will
help insulate young dogs from unnecessary auditory stimulation and allow
perspective adopters who are interested in younger dogs to view these pups

The Cat Adoption Center

The Cat Adoption Room - $100,000

Airy, spacious and welcoming, this space off of the Main Lobby will facilitate increased public visitations to our most
vulnerable shelter pets.

The Kitten Room - $100,000

Our smallest residents reside in a room tucked away from the bustle of the Main Lobby but easily accessed by visitors on the
way to the Dog Kennels. Families can enjoy watching the sporadic play/sleep cycles of young cats while learning about the
significance of spaying and neutering to prevent over population and suffering for one of our most vulnerable community
members.

The Cat Community Rooms - two at $25,000 each

While cats can primarily be solitary beings in the wild, domesticated cats crave attention and interaction. The Cat Community
Rooms will allow cats to play, climb and practice socialization skills with other felines, while moving beyond the confines of their
cages to exhibit their true personalities. Potential adopters will be able to play and relax the cats in the same way that they may at
their homes.
Far left: natural light and a view
overlooking an exterior garden will
provide visual stimulation for HSOYs
cats. Left: An exterior view of the Cat
Community Rooms protected garden.

The Cat Get Acquainted Room - $25,000

Far left: Beau is the most spectacular

cat who has ever owned us! How he
ever stayed in your facility for two
months without someone adopting him
is a mystery. - Mr. & Mrs. Richard
Young, 2010. Left: Community Rooms,
such as this one at the highly
acclaimed LEED gold certified Potter
League Shelter, provide room to play
and socialize beyond the confines of the
current shelters cat condos.

Decorated like a potential adopters living room, the Cat Get

Acquainted Room is a place where families can meet and
interact with a potential pet in the comfort of the cats
home away from home. It is our hope that - similar to the Cat Community Room cats will be able to
play and relax with humans in the same way that they may at the adopters homes.

Cat Condos - $10,000

Located off the Main Lobby to attract prospective adopters, these Cat Condominiums are designed to
increase the visibility of and the visual stimulations available to the cats, while protecting the felines
from the noises from the lobby.

Kitten Cages - Reserved for DLayne Fargason

Education and Outreach

The Education & Training Room Reserved for Jim & Vicki Kerely

Sara, age 10, and Amy, age 11,

with their donated shelter
supplies to help the animals.

My class & I really appreciated

the time & effort that you gave
us in May. I firmly believe in
early education & awareness of
the needs of the local community
& will do what I can to further
your mission.
Ellen M. Garr, Teacher

Yuma Catholic High School

Essential to fulfilling our mission, education is a paramount

focus for HSOYs near future. The Education & Training
Room will be a gathering place for visiting school groups as
they learn about animal care, breed characteristics, and
animal welfare issues; our hope is to improve the treatment
of Yumas animals by planting seeds of knowledge in young
minds, which they can then spread amongst their families
and communities. The Education & Training Room will also provide an obedience class
work space for HSOY adopters and Yuma community members; our hope here is to
provide pet owners with a place to work through an animals behavioral issues and keep
more dogs out of the shelter and in loving homes.

The Volunteer Work & Meeting Room - $20,000

Our volunteers dedicate thousand of hours a year to cleaning cages, walking dogs,
socializing cats, and helping with adoption and fundraising events. We are happy to
designate a space in our new building in appreciation of the effort and care that our
volunteers demonstrate towards our animals and staff. This space will allow volunteers
to meet, store personal items, receive updates concerning adoption goals and successes,

Fostering (left)- Foster parenting allows animals to be socialized & rehabilitated.

Foster parent volunteer Rebecca Curtis, painstakingly nursed Destiny her back to
health so she could be adopted. Rebecca has also supported HSOYs efforts by making a
generousannual pledge towards the construction of the new shelter.
Cuddle Brigade (below, left) The therapeutic benefits of pet
ownership are well documented,
but for some of our most
deserving community members,
pet ownership is not possible.
The Cuddle Brigade helps bring
the unconditional love &
appreciation of pets to our older
community members.

Youth Leadership
(right) - Third generation
volunteer Billie Ciotti,
was awarded Heart of
Yumas Youth Leadership
Award for her HSOY
fundraising & adoption
promotion work at Castle
Dome Middle School & at
the shelter.

4 Paws Pantry
(below, left) Founded by
board member
Jan Watts, and
volunteer Sandy
Pikula, 4 Paws
Pantry assists
pet owners
affected by
economic
hardships. The
pet food bank is
run by
volunteers and
is supported by
local businesses
and families
who are
invested in
helping their
neighbors keep
their cats and
dogs.

Quality Care
The Spay & Neuter Clinic - $500,000

The young and very successful HSOY Spay & Neuter Clinic will move from its current location on
the 4th Avenue Extension, to its incorporated spot in the new shelter. With a monthly goal of 400
alterations a day, the new clinic with feature an on-site veterinarians office with X-Ray,
examination and two procedure rooms. With the addition of a recovery room, animals will now have
a quite place to rest while veterinarian technicians maintain free floor space to attend to other
animals and responsibilities.

The Grooming Suite - $50,000

Everyday, the HSOY receives animals from Animal Control, owner give-ups, and good Samaritans,
and many of these animals have been neglected, or exposed to the elements for extended periods of
time. The Grooming Room will be a designated space for care givers to bath, trim and treat dogs and
cats whose improved physical appearance will add to their adoptability and general well being. For
some animals, this hands-on time with a staff member may be the most significant human
interaction that they have received in a long time, or ever.
Dear Sta at the Humane Society of Yuma,
We were overjoyed by the card we received from everyone at the Humane Society. It brought joy to
our hearts to know that everyone there really cares! It was hard and painful for our family to bring our sick
puppy in to be put to sleep. Thank you for your compassion!!
Thank you, Jesus A. Ruiz & Family

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

...All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those
who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember
them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss
someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and
looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers.
Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs
carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you
cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain
upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more
into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from
your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
- Author unknown

The Rainbow Bridge Family

Room - $50,000

Perhaps the most challenging time in a pet

owners life is understanding when it is time
to let our friends go. The Rainbow Bridge
Family Room is a quiet and private space
where families can spend some time together
saying goodbye to their cherished
companions.

The Memorial Gardens Reserved for Katherine Keen,

posthumously

The Katherine Keen Memorial Gardens will

be a beautiful place for families to visit and
remember a memorialized pet.

Sustainable Shelter
The Alternative
Energy
System - TBA
Part of the plan
concerning caring for
Yumas pets and
owners includes
making sure our role
in the community is a
sustainable one. By
harnessing Arizonas
abundant solar
energy and utilizing
ambient daylight, we
hope to reduce our
environmental
footprint, our energy
consumption and our
operational expenses.

Above, left: The attention generated by the design of the

Hale County Animal Shelter in Alabama has created a
much needed focus on the needs and adoption
opportunities of the rural community. Above: Walmart
stores, including store in the Yuma Foothills, utilize solar
energy. Many of the newer stores have installed solar
daylighting - which disperses sunlight without increasing
interior temperatures while decreasing utility expenses
by circumventing the dependence upon electric lighting
altogether. Left: a solar voltaic panel.

Leaving a Legacy
David and Donna Elfers are long time supports of the Humane Society of
Yuma, and in particular the New Shelter Project. David and Donna have
demonstrated their commitmentto the new shelter by naming HSOY as a
beneficiary of their estate. Their commitment to the New Shelter Project has
been unwavering and will go a long way towards helping HSOY secure a

One of the most important and generous was that you can help Yumas homeless pets is through
planned giving. The Legacy Circle members are those who honor HSOY in one or more of the
following ways:
Naming HSOY as a beneficiary in a will or living trust
Making a gift of cash or appreciated securities to establish a charitable gift annuity
Creating a charitable remainder trust
Naming HSOY as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy or retirement account

Call CRISTYN WEIL at

246-774 to discuss
how you can be a
part of the Yuma
history through
HSOYs New
Shelter Project.

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