SEQUIM — Renovations are under way at the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society’s new building just west of Carlsborg as the nonprofit prepares to expand services for its felines at the McKay Kitty City complex.
The 7,000-square-foot building at 91 S. Boyce Road, which once housed a school and a church, will be home to cats, kittens and small creatures — and feature a 100-foot-long mural depicting cats at play in the Olympic Mountains.
The 3-acre campus was purchased after Clallam County officials determined three modular buildings the no-kill shelter was using at the main campus on Old Olympic Highway needed to be removed. The modular space also housed veterinary services and administration.
The building in Sequim will house those displaced services when renovations are complete. The target move-in date is by the end of September or early October, Olympic Peninsula Humane Society (OPHS) representatives said last week, while the existing campus will continue to house dogs and their related services.
“Unfortunately, rapidly escalating material costs and the additional need for new medical equipment made the overall price tag of building a new structure on our existing 9.5-acre property untenable,” OPHS executive director Luanne Hinkle said.
“Instead, we were fortunate to locate the property on Boyce Road at less than half the price of building new.”
Port Angeles artist Dave Montague has donated his time and skills to a mural at the McKay Kitty City.
“When I heard about the new Kitty City building, I really wanted to help,” Montague said. “I decided to offer my services to create a mural to capture the cats’ personalities that will live there until adopted.
An avid hiker, he said he “wanted to depict our furry friends in the scenes I have enjoyed through my 3,000 miles of hiking throughout the Olympic Mountains.”
OPHS has a fundraising campaign to help with renovation costs estimated to be $350,000. In addition to build-outs for cat rooms, the new Kitty City building will include a surgery suite for OPHS to offer low-cost spay/neuter services to the community.
As of Aug. 18, OPHS had an estimated 97 percent of the required renovation funds. Donations will be matched until Sept. 15 by an anonymous donor.
“Because of bequeathed funds, we were able to purchase the Sequim property for cash, keeping OPHS debt-free,” Hinkle said.
“With only a little over $10,000 to raise towards our renovations, I know our generous community of animal lovers will help us get all the way there.”
Upon completion of the McKay Kitty City facility, OPHS will host an open house — the date is to be announced — for the community, Hinkle said; the event will include tours, raffles and a sale of animal-related goods.
To donate, visit ophumanesociety.org/donate.
For about 75 years, OPHS has maintained an active presence on the North Olympic Peninsula. Annually, more than 1,300 animals pass through the doors of the facility, OPHS representatives said.
Adoptions are by appointment only. Applications are available online at ophumanesociety.org.
To make an appointment, or for more information, call 360-457-8206 or visit the website.
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Michael Dashiell is the editor of the Sequim Gazette of the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which also is composed of other Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News and Forks Forum. Reach him at editor@sequimgazette.com.
