June 25, 2024
BOARDMAN – Animal Charity of Ohio is consolidating its resources into a single, remote, mixed-use construction among Southern Boulevard commercial workshops in Boardman for the first time.
The charity celebrated the move with an open house on Monday. Several hundred supporters attended and cars were parked along the roads to Southern Boulevard.
The festivities included a bake sale, a 50/50 raffle, gift basket sale, food trucks, a bar and an on-site masseuse. Music accompanied the loudspeakers raised over the south lawn of the building.
Animal Charity is a “don’t kill” shelter that will take in animals rescued from abuse and neglect in Mahoning County for as long as it takes them to find a new home.
Prior to this move, the charity was located in two separate spaces, one in Canfield and one in Boardman. The facilities were divided between the two sites, complicating their project to take in and treat abandoned and abused animals.
“It’s like a dream to be able to keep our animals under one roof,” said Canfield Board Chair Shelly Marlowe. “Animal Charity has never been under one roof before and I don’t know of any team that deserves it more than they do. In spite of everything, we are forming a coherent unit.
The ancient places were not adapted to the number of animals housed through the association, nor were they stocked for the types of animals needed. The old Boardman Center on Market Street, for example, was a former bank and was never designed to house animals.
The new 24,000-square-foot Southern Boulevard construction will have two wings, one for dogs and one for cats, and an expansive play area.
In addition, the new location features a surgical center, an X-ray room, two indoor games, and a giant animal for giant breed dogs or even horses if they can no longer be kept on their farms.
One room is a personal care spa and the new location will feature a vet 3-4 days a week.
Four “family rooms” will allow potential adoptees to meet their new pets privately and allow volunteers to be with the animals for common human contact.
The surgery center will have permanent cameras from the Mahoning Valley District Attorney’s Office to record evidence of abuse or neglect of incoming animals.
The staff expects to have the structure of the facilities completed by the end of August. In total, the new location will be able to house up to 460 animals at a time. The agreement employs 20 full-time people and around 40 volunteers.
“I’m looking for staff who can paint and not feel exhausted because they’re constantly moving between other facilities,” Marlowe said.
There will be opportunities for more volunteers in the future, but the charity may not receive training for at least two months while the structure is complete.
The animals housed in the construction are cats and a turtle that were left homeless after the May 28 fuel explosion at the Realty Building in downtown Youngstown. These animals are being temporarily housed at Animal Charity, but will be returned to their owners once they find new homes, Marlowe said.
Board member Jenny Falvey, who works at Boardman and lives in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania, also directs Animal Charity’s behavioral rehabilitation program.
“We have a comprehensive plan for dogs coming into the facility,” he said.
Staff and volunteers work to rehabilitate animals with behavioral challenges so they can safely enter families’ new homes.
New construction is the best fit for that effort, he said.
“For the animals, it provides them with a lot more space,” Falvey said. “It gives us the opportunity to paint with them. For dogs, this will give us the opportunity to create playgroups and have an area where they can paint and larger pictures with them.
The agreement is organizing a fundraising campaign to finance the costs of the structure. Suggested donations for express spaces and diversity of pieces from $20 to $10,000.
Anyone interested in volunteering or donating to the charity visits the Animal Charity of Ohio’s online page in www. animalcharityofohio. org/ and looks for the “volunteer,” “donation,” or “fundraiser” tabs. donations by check; send checks to 8469 Southern Blvd. , Boardman, OH, 44512.
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