The No-Flea Boutique opened last November, the doggies and kitties moved in about two weeks ago, and – drum roll – the Humane Society of St. Thomas Animal Care Campus will officially welcome the community at its grand opening from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug. 26.
It has been a very long time coming.
Ground was broken for the new facility on the Weymouth Rhymer Highway across from Cost-U-Less in 2006, at a projected cost of $5 million. Joe Aubain, the Humane Society president at the time, and philanthropist Randy Knight, who donated the first million dollars of the center’s fundraising drive, announced then that the opening would be 18 months hence.
Six years later, at a cost of $8 million, the facility is finally open for business. It’s been an uphill battle, fraught with one stumbling block after another, construction problems and financial setbacks.
But everybody loves a happy ending, and no one more so than current Humane Society President Andrea Martin, the staff, the dedicated volunteers and the board members, as well as Aubain, for whom the campus is named.
Aubain stepped down from his 10-year run as president last year, though he retains his position as chairman of the Humane Campus committee.
Martin said opening day will feature tours of the campus guided by board members and volunteers. The Boutique will also be open.
The beautifully landscaped new shelter includes cutting-edge sound- and odor-contained kennels; dog play areas and dog runs; a real cat house complete with window sills; a dog-walking path where members can bring their own dogs; an on-campus animal treatment center; an area for the Police K-9 unit; an administration building; a bunny hutch and iguana sanctuary; the Corrine E. Lockhart Education Center; an animal boarding center; nighttime drop-off; and a livestock holding area.
