The new Fulton County Humane Society building at 22450 County Road F.
Photo provided
Floors in the new building need to be prepared, including removal of carpet.
Photo provided
It has been said that timing is everything. This statement couldn’t be more true for the Fulton County Humane Society.
This Christmas season has brought both highs and lows for this local non-profit organization. November 30 was the day they were given notice to find another building and told to be out of their current property of four years by Dec. 31.
Though attempts were made to purchase a new property, all offers were denied. Just as the group of volunteers were frantically making the final arrangements to secure foster homes for the animals that now occupied the shelter, a new building was anonymously donated. “Talk about Hail Mary timing!” Stephanie Moore, Office Manager, Fulton County Humane Society, said, “The timing was incredible.”
However, the new building, 22450 County Road F, near Archbold, hasn’t been occupied for over two years. When asked what was needed to be able to move into their new home, “Time would be amazing,” Moore said.
There is just not enough time to get everything done. A recent volunteer day helped clean the accumulated dust and dirt from the walls, window sills, molding, and doors. The old carpet was also ripped away exposing the bare concrete floors.
Residue and dried glue still needs to be removed professionally from the floor. The floor will be stripped using a special chemical and a buffer. A sealant will then be applied to sanitize the floor. The chemicals used create fumes that are harmful. The fumes can take two to three days to dissipate. A contractor is currently working on these floors.
What follows next is a major move. The original plan was to get eight to nine rooms done immediately. Three rooms were designated for dogs and five rooms for the cats and one for the office. All the rooms still need to be set up.
Temporary fencing was set up earlier this week; however, temporary kennels still need to be set up to house the animals until a volunteer architect can draw up the plans to best utilize the new 10,000 square-foot space.
So here’s the problem, the deadline to be out was on Friday, Dec. 31. “This is just not going to happen,” Moore said. An extension of two weeks was requested; graciously, the former landlords, Steve and Tracy Wanner, agreed partially to the request.
All of the cats were required to be out of the old building by the first of January; fortunately, they were all able to go to foster homes. The dogs were given a stay until Friday, Jan. 7. The hope is that the floors will be done by then so they can move in.
“Nothing is concrete right now. It’s all up in the air but when move day comes it will happen all at once and we will need people to help,” Moore explained when she was asked what she would need to make this move happen.
Although the Fulton County Humane Society is seeking help currently, they are no strangers to helping out their community. One memorable day, on Nov. 13, 2021, Northstar Blue Scope Steel hosted, Let’s Build Beds, inviting 10 FCHS volunteers and other volunteers to build over 100 beds for their community.
“Community support goes both ways. We can’t always have our hand out when others have needs too,” Moore explained.
If you would like to help the Fulton County Humane Society with their big move, call or text 419-349-3841 or just follow them on facebook. If you need emergency assistance, even though they are technically closed, you can still contact them for help.
