Cedar Valley Humane Society opens expanded shelter

The Cedar Valley Humane Society opened an expanded shelter in rural Linn County that increases capacity to 65 dogs and 100 cats and adds new visitor and animal-care spaces.

The Cedar Valley Humane Society opened an expanded shelter space earlier this month in rural Linn County. The expansion is phase two of the society's more than $10 million renovation campaign. The addition nearly triples the shelter footprint and increases capacity for dogs and cats. The nonprofit has served the area since 1901 and said it had outgrown its previous facility. Key details: - The new shelter can house 65 dogs and 100 cats, up from 35 dogs and 46 cats in the former setup. - The building footprint increased from about 7,000 to 18,000 square feet, and construction of the addition began last year. - New features include additional visitation rooms, a new check-in area, expanded animal exercise and play areas, and kennel designs that face walkways and windows to let animals see outside; soundproofing and increased natural light were also noted. - The space is in a "soft opening" while phase three is planned later this year; phase three will renovate the original shelter area into a service center for things like vaccination appointments and visits to the pet food bank, and will add more dedicated isolation spaces. - The shelter serves animals from Linn and Benton counties, reports providing care and adoption services to more than 7,000 animals annually, and in the past two years helped over 8,000 animals through low-cost vaccine clinics and a free pet food bank. - Shelter leadership said they do not euthanize animals solely because they have been at the shelter for a long time. Summary: The expansion increases the shelter's ability to accept animals from Linn and Benton counties and provides more space and quieter, sunlit accommodations intended to reduce stress for animals. The facility is open to the public during a soft opening, and the final renovation phase and a grand opening are scheduled for later this year.