MAPS breaks ground on new facilities
By Hub City Times staff
MARSHFIELD – A permanent pet shelter in Marshfield is on its way to completion. On Aug. 15, a ground-breaking ceremony took place for what will become the Marshfield Area Pet Shelter at 3500 Downwind Drive in the Air Industrial Park on the city’s south side.
After eight years of fundraising and finding temporary shelters and homes for stray or abandoned dogs and cats, MAPS Executive Director Karen Rau said it felt good to finally start the process of moving to a permanent state-of-the-art facility.
MAPS will construct a facility that will provide additional space to merge two current makeshift locations, isolate sick animals, provide more dog kennels with outdoor runs, and serve as a resource and education center through a new large conference room.
The facility will also feature a separate entrance for admission of animals to the shelter and a one-vehicle garage with additional space for storage, along with a private and secure room for night drop of animals from law enforcement.
Fundraising is still active, and Rau says MAPS has reached 85 percent of a $1.5 million public fundraising goal. The city of Marshfield contributed $250,000, and the J.P. Adler Family fund secured naming rights through a $350,000 dollar donation.
Nikolai Construction is the general contractor for the project, and the current MAPS goal is to open the 7,700 square-foot facility sometime next year.