Groundbreaking news for dogs and cats

Friday marked the beginning of a brand-new home for the Humane Society of Yuma with a groundbreaking of the $3 million project expected to be completed next summer.

HSOY board members, staff and supporters were on hand to witness the first shovel dig Friday at noon. The new shelter will be built on land located on the southwest corner of 40th Street and Avenue 4-1/2E.

The groundbreaking Friday will kick off a 10-day project to install utilities such as sewer and water. That portion of the project costs $200,000.

The land was donated by the Curtis family and Sam Perricone. Benefactors of the project are David and Donna Elfers.

HSOY is still collecting donations for the project, and its biggest annual fundraiser is the Fur Ball, which is held in the fall.  

"We're very excited to be this far," said HSOY executive director Annette Lagunas. "Every step from now on is going to be awesome."

With the golden shovel in hand, longtime volunteer Lonie Ross-Misenhimer helped start off the project. Ross-Misenhimer received the groundbreaking as a gift from her husband, who bid on it at the Fur Ball III.

Christyn Weil, chair of the HSOY capital campaigns, said the organization is already almost halfway through the campaign with $1.4 million in donations.

Weil said the Curtis family and everyone involved has been so accommodating and willing to help. Once the HSOY knew the utility project could start, the land was quickly readied for the crews to move in.

"One day, that's all it took," she said about clearing the land.

The Curtis family also cleared the land for the HSOY. The Yuma Mesa Irrigation and Drainage District is also working on the project.

Weil said with local contractors such as Patterson Thompson Architects and contractors Dahl Robbins and Troy Eckard, it's helping business stay local.

"One of the goals of the campaign is to keep the money here in Yuma."