Humane Ohio is moving on up, but not far away.
The low-cost spay/neuter clinic in West Toledo outgrew its current building on Tremainsville Road several years ago.
“Every year, I’ve said we couldn’t do any more in that building,” executive director Julie Lyle said. “But we always made it work. We are using every square inch of that building. There is no more space.”
In November, it closed on a 10,000-square-foot building at Alexis Road and Clover Lane — just 1.1 miles away. The property was most recently a Family Dollar store, but also had been a Dollar Giant and two different pharmacies before that.
“It’s one big, open space so we don’t have to do a lot of demolition,” Ms. Lyle said. “There’s going to be a ton of renovation.”
The nonprofit has been searching for a new location for about five years.
“The needs are so specific, so that made it more difficult,” said Judy McFarland, its board president.
Demand for Humane Ohio’s services has grown steadily. Last year, the group completed a record 19,151 spay/neuter surgeries for cats and dogs. High demand means pet owners are waiting an average of six weeks for appointments, with large dogs being scheduled out sometimes three months or more.
Ms. Lyle said the organization first looked about a year ago at the Alexis Road property, which has been empty for a couple of years. But the price was more than Humane Ohio was hoping to pay, and the group hadn’t yet started a capital campaign.
The list price came down over time. At $700,000 it was still more than Humane Ohio had hoped to pay, but it met requirements and the clinic couldn’t wait any longer.
“We had to bite the bullet,” Ms. Lyle said. “We really have to do it. For the future of Humane Ohio and the good of the community, we need to make the move.”
The entire project is budgeted at about $1.6 million. Humane Ohio has raised about $800,000 in grants, private donations, and sponsorships.
A significant gift from Gretchen Zyndorf of Sylvania Township, who died in December, really kicked off the capital campaign and got the project under way, Ms. McFarland said. The new building will be named in her honor.
“Her generosity has changed the face of this campaign, and it’s going to change the course of this organization,” she said.
The new clinic will be nearly double the space and double the animal-holding space, Ms. Lyle said. It will have two operating rooms, each with four tables and dedicated surgery preparation areas, as well as two examination rooms and a small area for Humane Ohio’s cat-adoption program. A large room will be used as a conference space, as well as a training and education program area.
“Right now, we don’t even have a room in the building we can fit all our staff in comfortably for staff meetings,” Ms. Lyle said.
A much larger lobby and increased parking will relieve headaches during the clinic’s hectic morning drop-off hours.
Once under way, renovations are expected to take three to four months. Ms. Lyle is pushing for the new clinic to open in late spring or early summer. Humane Ohio plans to add four staff members and increase its programming and outreach.
“There’s a huge public-education component that needs to take place,” Ms. McFarland said. “We’ll be able to do much more of that.”
Demand for Humane Ohio’s services shows no sign of abating anytime soon, Ms. Lyle said. The new clinic will have room to grow.
“We never want to move again,” Mr. Lyle said. “This is our permanent home, and we’re making a big investment. This is where we want to stay. We’re making sure we design it to suit our needs for years to come.”
To donate to Humane Ohio’s capital campaign, visit humaneohio.org/capital-campaign. Sponsorships of various rooms or kennels are still available, and general donations are also welcomed. Checks or money orders made payable to Humane Ohio may also be sent to 3131 Tremainsville Road, Toledo, OH 43613.
First Published January 27, 2020, 12:50 p.m.
