The Rifle Animal Shelter will host the annual Spayghetti and No Balls Dinner 4:30–7:30 p.m. this Saturday at the Elks Lodge.
“Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy food. We will be walking around visiting with people, and there will be shelter information on hand,” Rifle Animal Shelter Director of Development Kalli Wilson said. “It’s kind of a mellow evening for everybody to get out and enjoy the company of each other for a good cause.”
The shelter, located next to the high school, provides housing and care for homeless animals, reunites owners with their lost pets, and adopts animals into new homes.
Saturday’s event helps the shelter raise money, bring awareness and educate the community on the importance of spaying and neutering animals.
“It was started to help support the spay and neuter program for the community and for shelter animals,” Wilson said.
“We do community spay and neuter three days a week, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, at a low cost for the community. That way we can help more animals to start a healthy life and prevent unplanned litters.”
Through grants and fundraisers, the shelter is able to offer the program to the community and keep the cost as low as possible.
For community members the shelter charges between $120-$150 for spaying, and $90-$ 110 for neutering dogs. Cat neutering is $50, and spaying is $75.
Wilson said it also helps the shelter animals by giving them an opportunity to spay or neuter prior to adoption, which is part of the shelter’s mission to make sure all animals are cared for before they leave.
“That way they start off at their new home with a new and healthy opportunity,” Wilson said.
The dinner is $7 for adults and $5 for seniors and children.
Wilson said local restaurants donated all the food, and there will also be a bake sale at the event to help raise money.
NEW SHELTER
The animal shelter continues to raise money for the new facility that is planned for construction this year.
“We are hoping to break ground this spring, and from there it will be a six- to nine-month process,” Wilson said.
“The project is going really well. We have around $300,000 to fundraise remaining. We are beyond excited for that day to come.”
The new 8,000-square-foot animal shelter will be located on the east side of Prefontaine Avenue, just north of the bus barn at Rifle High School.
The existing shelter is 1,000 square feet.
Wilson said they have two trailers they also utilize for administrative offices and another used for veterinarian services.
“It will be significantly larger, and it will be more compatible for us to take in the amount of animals we do,” Wilson said. “We will be able to increase by about 25 percent; it is going to be sufficient dog runs and an actual cat room.”
The addition of a cat room with ductwork and air exchanges will help cats stay healthier, and help reduce any spread of diseases.
“It’s actually going to be a sufficient place for us to continue building our programs and adopting out more animals,” Wilson said.