While the construction start for a new Community Animal Hospital kicked off 2012 in a positive direction for the Jacksonville Humane Society, Denise Deisler knows there is more work — and fundraising — to be done.
Deisler has been the organization’s executive director since September after many years in the animal welfare community in Virginia and South Florida, taking on challenges of all sorts.
Her challenge in Jacksonville is to raise $8.6 million for a new shelter, animal adoption and education center at the Humane Society’s Beach Boulevard location.
The number is both needed and symbolic, she said.
Almost five years ago, a fire damaged or destroyed portions of the Humane Society’s facilities and killed 19 dogs and 67 cats — 86 animals total. The fundraising efforts represent $100,000 for each animal lost.
“This place still hasn’t fully recovered,” Deisler said. “It’s amazing that they were able to start taking animals in again within a week.”
The recently completed animal hospital was the second part of the rebuilding phase and will be a boon to the awareness efforts and contribute some revenue to the third portion, the new shelter and facilities.
Currently, most of the Humane Society’s duties outside the animal hospital are done in portables, which would be replaced by buildings.
Deisler said larger facilities also would transform how people interact with their new potential pets. Instead of walking along hallways or rooms lined with cages, specialized rooms would allow people to meet animals in their environment to determine the right match.
Deisler said she knows of the perception that facilities can scare people.
“It really lets people learn about animals in their own element and can help people make a decision as which pet is right for them,” she said.
The Humane Society’s largest fundraiser of the year, Trail of Tails, is a walk and festival scheduled March 3 at the Landing. People are encouraged to bring their pets and Deisler said her hope is that people become more involved in some form, be it volunteer efforts, donations or even adopting an animal into a loving home.
For more information about the Jacksonville Humane Society, visit jaxhumane.org.
356-2466