The Northumberland Humane Society is preparing to move from its longtime shelter on Ward Street in Port Hope to its new location at 2363 Theatre Road.
Renovations have been taking place at the former Shelter of Hope/Municipal Animal Services building in Hamilton Township since last year when the Humane Society took over the animal control services contract.
“This is a big improvement for the Humane Society because it's more space for the animals, it's a newer building than the old building that we're in so it's an upgrade for everybody and it's nice for us for growing in our community and to support our community better than we did before,” Henny Venus, who assumed the role of executive director last June.
To accommodate the move, the Humane Society will be closed from Monday, April 24 to May 1, reopening at the new location on Tuesday, May 2. The phone number will remain the same, but the service will need to be moved over. Anyone with questions or concerns can still reach staff at info@northumberlandhs.com.
“We need to have our time to do an easy and good transition for the animals because it's pretty stressful for them,” Venus said, noting there's also a lot of items to transport during the move due to the longevity of the organization at the Ward Street building.
With a five-acre property on Theatre Road, there is room to expand in the future if necessary, but more importantly in the present a safe area to walk the dogs.
“It's a nice area for people to come walk your own dog so it's really a great benefit for the community, too,” Venus said.
Inside the building there will be a better intake set-up, especially for cats and more space for all the animals. The shelter currently has about 60 animals, including dogs, cats and guinea pigs, but Venus said that's a low number as it's not uncommon for there to be around 90 animals housed.
Some pet stores in Cobourg and Port Hope have helped out by taking in cats and guinea pigs, which can aid in the adoption process.
“It's really valuable for the animals because not everybody can always come to the Humane Society,” Venus said.
The Humane Society also benefits from foster homes, especially this time of year when they are above capacity for dogs. Five stray dogs were brought to the shelter over a two-day period this week. The shelter also prepares for an abundance of kittens to arrive in the spring.
“We are always in need of foster homes and we can always use extra volunteers,” Venus said.
While contacts with local municipalities cover the costs for animal control, the Humane Society is non-profit and is dependent on financial and item donations, fundraisers and more. Venus hopes to increase the number of monthly donors to support the shelter.
On its website, northumberlandhs.com, there is a wish list of items and its not just things like pet food and litter, but also laundry detergent, paper towels and more.
Events coming up that will benefit the Humane Society include a Kitten Shower on Sunday, May 21 at the Cobourg Public Library and the Bow Wow Fair on Saturday, May 27 at the Columbus Community Centre in Cobourg.
In the meantime, adoption remains such an important aspect of the Northumberland Humane Society with a number of animals having endured long stays at the shelter.
If anyone is looking to welcome a new member to their family, Venus said “please come out and visit us for giving those (animals) a new forever home.”
