If you were a dog or cat with nowhere to go and no one to love you, you would want to be at the Santa Maria Humane Society’s new facility on West Stowell Road.
The Humane Society held an open house on Saturday, July 11, to show off their latest amenity (Kennel No. 3), which will allow them to take in and care for more unwanted animals.
“The new kennel doubles our capacity for dogs,” Executive Director Charlotte Alexander told guests assembled in the courtyard under a white canopy during a short program.
“We are starting to grow,” Alexander added.
“We are definitely headed in the right direction,” former board President Clare Sheehy told me afterwards.
Dogs and cats are housed in very impressive digs. Large dogs have their own indoor space connected to their own outdoor patio. Smaller dogs double up. Cats awaiting adoption live in a dormitory-type setting with a whole bunch of them sharing one of three common “bedrooms.” Life is one big sleepover for the kitties.
And, of course, there is room service.
There is, as well, a huge outdoor space where the dogs can run and play during their scheduled exercise breaks.
The whole thing looks very modern, up-to-date, clean, and comfy.
You’ve got to see the Simba Solarium, an atrium for cats, where felines can run up and down a vertical playground. I am at a loss for how to describe this interesting configuration. But I love the name and the concept.
Doesn’t all this sound divine? These are definitely five-star accommodations, hopefully temporary for the continuous parade of animals available for adoption.
To celebrate the near-completion of the new kennel, Dan Blough of Blough Construction and Tim Seifert, construction project manager for the kennel, provided hamburgers and hot dogs expertly grilled by their fellow Rotary Breakfast Club members for the open house, attended by about 75.
Braced against hefty winds under a sunny sky, Breakfast Rotary’s new President Shannon Seifert served the hot-off-the-grill delectables to guests. There were chips and drinks to complement the food.
County Supervisors Peter Adam and Steve Lavagnino, along with former Mayor Larry Lavagnino, City Councilperson Etta Waterfield, Joyce Howerton, and Pismo Beach Mayor Shelly Higginbotham dropped by.
The event attracted Dr. Dennis Shepard, Judge Tim Staffel, Jill and Tom Targer, and Bunny Maxim (longtime Humane Society supporter) with Jody Venema.
The day was a huge success, both for the Breakfast Rotary’s barbecue squad, which validated its reputation as master grillers, and for the animals, 11 of whom were adopted during the festivities. Good news for the formerly unwanted.
Among the adopted were two pit bull mixes.
“People need to understand the energy level of these dogs,” Resource Director Emiko Gerber told me. “We do our best to make a good match between the animals and the prospective owners.”
Kennel No. 3 was made possible by generous donations from the Hind Foundation of San Luis Obispo and the Henry Mayo Newhall Foundation.
Open house visitors toured the facility and were able to see the spay and neuter clinic, offices, the kennels, the dog run, and other parts of the operation. It’s definitely worth a trip to 1687 West Stowell to see where dogs and cats wait for their forever homes.
If you want to hobnob with Helen, you may contact her at helenthom232@yahoo.com.
This article appears in Jul 23-30, 2015.
