Crown Point doesn’t have a place to house its stray and unwanted dogs and cats, but there are animal lovers determined to see one built in the city soon.
The new facility to take in and care for animals won’t be called a humane society or animal shelter, but will carry the name “New Leash on Life.”
Donna Burrell Pace recently founded New Leash on Life, a 501(c)3 corporation, with a plan to build an animal facility in Crown Point — one that meets the high standards of the ASPCA, Humane Society of the United States, and Best Friends Animal Society. Pace has been in touch with all three organizations and has visited several animal shelters around the country to come back with the best ideas possible.
Having recently returned from a four-day Humane Society conference in San Antonio, Texas, she is now moving forward with a capital fundraising campaign, replete with charitable events and pushing toward an accelerated schedule that would see groundbreaking on the facility occur this fall. She is also looking to tap corporate sponsorships and grant programs to fund the construction and long-term operations.
Pace is envisioning a 14,000-to-15,000-square-foot structure, including a medical area for low-cost spay and neuter services. It would also feature a sally port for after-hours delivery of animals.
Crown Point’s lack of an animal shelter is a critical issue for residents, and animals, as the city has no other alternative than to turn them over to Lake County Animal Control — provided there’s room to take them in. Animals outside municipal jurisdictions have first dibs on space, Pace says, so there is the potential of a dog or cat found in Crown Point being left out on the streets.
“Crown Point has a Facebook page of neighbors helping neighbors trying to find homes for stray and lost animals,” she said. “New Leash on Life will also give us a place to take an animal if it is lost and hopefully can be returned to their owner.”
Pace noted that once New Leash on Life opens, Crown Point could lease out space by accepting animals from nearby communities that use the county services too, such as Lowell and Cedar Lake.
Getting behind the animal facility effort, Crown Point Police Chief Ryan Patrick said he recently joined Pace on shelter visits in Hamilton and Brown countries and came away impressed with how successfully they operate as nonprofit organizations supported by donations and fundraisers.
He noted that the city’s General Services department handles 18-25 stray animal calls a year.
“We will ask residents that if you could hold on to the animal we’ll try to find the owner, and when we put it out on social media chances are we do find the owner eventually,” he said.
Patrick is hopeful a parcel of land the city owns next to the dog park on Center Ross Road across from Legacy Fields will be large enough for the facility and that the city would then donate it. A land-use study is under way, and they’ll know how feasible that solution is soon.
Whether the city would support the multi-million-dollar project beyond a land donation has yet to come up for public discussion.
Crown Point Mayor Pete Land expressed his support for the project.
“This project will serve as a tremendous benefit for our city and residents,” he said. “It’s a resource that is desperately needed, and we’re grateful to partner with the Pace family to make it a reality.”
Jim Masters is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.