Wheat Ridge – The finances of Jefferson County’s only publicly supported animal shelter look a bit brighter, thanks to a successful fundraiser over the weekend.
But Table Mountain Animal Center’s future remains cloudy, a situation brought to light by the proposed 230,000-square-foot Cabela’s outfitter store next door.
The 13,100-square-foot shelter needs twice as much space to provide services for nearly 12,000 animals annually.
“One of our issues is we’re in a 30-year-old building that doesn’t meet the state pet care act passed in the early 1990s,” said Nick Fisher, the center’s executive director.
While not out of compliance with regulations, euthanasia is a reality, said sheriff’s patrol Capt. Phil Domenico, chairman of the center’s board.
“When TMAC is full, and we have the county bringing animals there, there is no space, and we have to get that euthanasia list out,” Domenico said.
Cramped, aging quarters led the board to discuss before Christmas what facilities are needed. A best-case scenario calls for a 50,000- square-foot facility.
Whether relocating or renovating, “we realize we need to start raising money no matter what,” Fisher said.
At Saturday’s CATillion fundraiser, the center’s foundation raised $40,000 – 1½ times last year’s amount.
The nonprofit foundation raises about $170,000 of the center’s $1.1 million operating budget. Nine cities contribute 41 percent of the budget based on population and assessed value, and the remainder comes from fees for services.
Cabela’s contributed $1,000 to the CATillion, but it’s unclear how much of a role Cabela’s will play in the shelter’s future.
Jefferson County owns the land that Cabela’s was interested in acquiring to complement its proposed store.
Cabela’s and county officials have been negotiating the possible sale of the land and relocation of the animal shelter, but those talks appear to have broken off.
Discussions now center on Cabela’s possibly paying to paint, landscape and fence the animal shelter.
“It sounds like they want to work something out,” Fisher said. “They don’t have to build us an animal shelter, but it could be a great opportunity for us. We’ll just wait and see.”
Staff writer Ann Schrader can be reached at 303-278-3217 or aschrader@denverpost.com.
