BOULDER — It is an exciting time here in Jefferson County as there will soon be a place for more stray dogs and cats to be safely taken care of before they hopefully find their 'fur-ever' homes.
"We just got it operational last month," said Cheryl Haasakker, the president and director of Animal Shelter and Care of Jefferson County (AS&C of Jefferson County). "The first week we were open, we were full to the max with both cats and dogs."
AS&C of Jefferson County has been working for years to get a brick-and-mortar location, and they have now achieved this goal.
The facility is 750 square feet and costs $180,000, paid for through donations and fundraisers.
"Jefferson County doesn't have animal control, or we didn't have a shelter," Hassakker said. "The last resort for any animal rescue thing was us."
Prior to the non-profit having a brick-and-mortar shelter, they would travel with their services and rely on fosters, but now they can save time and resources by having people come to them.
Haasakker said, "It was more difficult. Now it's a little bit easier."
The shelter has no paid positions, and it is entirely volunteer-run.
The vast majority of the animals they deal with are lost and found.
"It's rotating doors because we're finding the owners pretty quickly, and that's our goal – is to return them back home as soon as we can," said Haasakker.
The shelter is holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday alongside their annual Walk and Wag fundraiser.
There will be food trucks, vendors, music, and animal wellness clinics from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
Haasakker said, "It is a huge relief, and we're just ecstatic and excited. All of this hard work has come to this point. It's been a long time coming."
You can find more ways to get involved with the shelter – whether it is donating, volunteering, or if you need help here.
