For nearly a year, Naperville’s A.D.O.P.T. Pet Shelter has been without reliable hot water. Now, the facility is seeking the community’s support to remedy the situation.
A.D.O.P.T., which stands for Animals Deserving of Proper Treatment, has launched a fundraising campaign so it can fix a water leak at its 420 Industrial Drive shelter. Due to a lack of funding, the repairs have gone unaddressed, leaving the nonprofit with access to hot water in only a small fraction of its shelter for months.
“It’s been very difficult,” said Kallie Horner, A.D.O.P.T. development coordinator.
A.D.O.P.T., founded in 1989, has operated out of its 420 Industrial Drive shelter since 2003. Typically, the no-kill organization is caring for 40 dogs and 60 cats at any given time, Horner said. The shelter sits across the street from its associated vet clinic.
Water problems started about a year ago. Alarm bells sounded when the facility’s water usage began to climb, according to Horner. The cause, the shelter discovered, was a leak.
The leak was causing them to use 33% more water a month, Horner said. The facility manager was able to find and isolate the leak by turning off the water for the faulty pipe, but in doing so, the short-term fix cut the shelter off from hot water in most areas other than in and around its restroom, she said.
The issue is affecting the shelter’s six main faucets where it does laundry and washes dishes, as well as the faucet that allows staff and volunteers to bathe dogs.
The city of Naperville’s code enforcement team was not aware of the hot water issue at this property, city spokeswoman Linda LaCloche said in an email. The city also had not received any complaints about the property in the past year, she said.
Hot water is crucial to shelter operations for a host of reasons, Horner says. Warm baths, for instance, are an important part of animals’ grooming and care routine, she said. Hot water also ensures that the shelter can properly clean and sanitize dishes, preventing the spread of illness. Finally, without hot water, it’s difficult to disinfect the facility, Horner said.
Staff and volunteers have been getting by with limited resources. They’ll microwave or boil water for bathing but otherwise make do with cold water, Horner said.
Beyond losing access to hot water, the leak has also caused the shelter “to lose so much money” through inflated water bills, she said.
A.D.O.P.T. is primarily funded through contributions and grants in addition to program service revenue, according to its tax forms.
The shelter had some funding lined up through a community donor but it fell through, Horner said.
“It was very, very disappointing,” she said.
Asked how much they anticipate repairs to cost, Horner said they don’t know the extent of damage so “we’re not exactly sure.” It does, however, anticipate it to be a large undertaking.
That’s what prompted the shelter to put out a call for help.
“We turned to the public because while we aren’t sure what all the repairs will total, we know it will be a massive project and that it is very likely more repairs will come up during the process,” Horner said.
The shelter’s plan, she said, is to “raise as many donations as possible” to offset the ultimate cost. If A.D.O.P.T. does not secure the funding it needs, it will have to pay for the repairs itself.
“This will certainly leave us without hot water for a longer period of time, and we would have to take funds from other areas to fund the repairs,” Horner said.
A.D.O.P.T.’s fundraising page can be accessed at http://bit.ly/3F4ZAFZ. As of Friday, 588 donations ranging from $10 to $2,000 had been made to the campaign.
“It’s incredibly heartwarming,” Horner said. “We have been overwhelmed and completely grateful by the support of our community. It’s been truly amazing to see. We’re so grateful to be part of such an amazing community that cares and looks out for each other.”
