The future home of the new Animal Welfare League.

It isn’t just the sounds of barks and meows pouring forth from the Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County. An exciting announcement about the future of the shelter is resounding from its walls. The shelter, which is located just outside of Warsaw at 3489 E. CR 100S, is looking to expand by entering a new facility just across the street.

Though the AWL initially planned to renovate and expand its current location, due to Indiana run-off regulations the expansion of the current shelter was not possible. Casting their gaze from the current facility to a new one, Darla McCammon, director at the AWL, noticed a significantly larger building just across the street from the current shelter.

The specs for the new building are impressive compared to the current shelter. Located at 1048 S CR 325E, the building sits on 5 acres of land and offers 6,500 square feet to be utilized for the shelter’s needs. The current shelter is approximately 2,500 square feet.

McCammon notes while the project is still in the planning phase, there are already some big dreams developing for the new shelter. Among the amenities she hoped to see expand at the facility, an outdoor dog park or walking trails were high on the list. McCammon noted she’d also like to see a walking route within the building itself for pets who are ill suited to Indiana’s cold winters.

Community is a major focus of the new shelter. McCammon noted a major hope for the new space is to incorporate areas for volunteers to work as well as a space for children and community members to visit with the animals and learn about the shelter.

“I hope to be able to have events and activities within the structure,” explained McCammon. “I want to be able to bring whole classes of kids from the area schools… right now we visit the schools but there are times that it would be nice for the school to come to us. Students can see a nice presentation about the shelter and learn about the animals. I also hope to incorporate a literacy program where kids who are struggling with reading can come and read to the pets.”

Though the funds to purchase the building have been secured through donations from the community, McCammon noted funds are still needed to bring the new building up to par. Drainage systems as well as reliable heating and cooling for the structure are among the needs McCammon cited for the project.

“We are funding the project with donations basically… Originally, we were going to build here (AWL’s current location) and this land was paid for, but now I need to put money into remodeling. We are going to need help from the community to help get this place remodeled. I want this to be a premier showcase for Warsaw. Everything else we do here is first class and this should be too. We are the orthopedic capital of the world and we do things first class here, this place should be no different. Our community should be proud of this place,” stated McCammon.

McCammon explained current cost projects are still being calculated as the architect for the project works to create plans for the new shelter. Though the cost is still uncertain, McCammon stated she believes a “ball park range” for the project would be somewhere between $200,000 to $300,000.

The shelter is asking for the community’s support, be that through volunteering time or services, or giving money toward the project’s cost and shelter operations. To learn more about getting involved with the shelter or providing a donation, call the AWL at (574) 267-3008.