New Animal Shelter Project
Did you know that each year on average, over 250 animals are taken in and cared for at the Grand County Animal Shelter? The shelter has operated at its present location for over 25 years. Due to expansion of the Sanitation Department, the lease of the current location cannot be renewed.
We Need Your Help! With the support of the community, Grand County Pet Pals is seeking to raise funds for the construction costs of the new shelter building.
Grand County Pet Pals (GCPP) is the non-profit supportive arm of the current shelter. The organization provides services such as spay/neuters, veterinary care, vaccination, training, and advocacy for shelter animals. With the support of the community, GCPP is seeking to raise funds to:
- Purchase property for a new shelter – DONE! In October 2024, we signed the contract for the land that will become home to our new animal shelter. This milestone would not have been possible without the incredible support from the Town of Granby and our dedicated community!
- Construct a building on the selected site – CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS! We are currently building the new Animal Shelter and need to raise $200,000-$300,000 to meet our goal.
An involved community is a caring community. It is crucial to maintain a location within the county that can support animals in need and secure the health and safety of residents.
Your contribution is key to keeping a shelter in Grand County. Pet Pals knows that without your support we cannot accomplish this mission, so THANKS TO ALL OF YOU in advance for your generosity.
As we embark on this transformative journey, we invite you to make a one-time donation to sponsor a space within the new shelter, or order a pet tag for the Friends of Grand County Pet Pals Wall of Honor. Your contribution will not only save lives but also demonstrate your commitment to the humane treatment of animals in Grand County.
Status of the Grand County Animal Shelter
We are currently building the new Animal Shelter and need to raise $200,000-$300,000 to meet our goal. Check out some photos of our progress!
Below is a timeline of the progression with the New Shelter:
Late 2022 – Notification was provided by the Sanitation Department Board to the Board of County Commissioners that the lease on the current shelter would not be continued.
November 2022 – Grand County Pet Pals (GCPP) presented the Sheriff’s Department with a proposal on the necessity of maintaining a shelter in the county. Discussed in the proposal was GCPP’s commitment to raise funds for a new building if land could be granted from the county for a new site.
February 2023 – Sheriff’s Department instructed GCPP to present the proposal to the Board of County Commissioners.
March 2023 – GCPP met with the Board of County Commissioners to request a shelter remain in the county. Additionally, GCPP requested a grant of available property in the county that could support a new shelter; and presented the organization’s commitment to fund a building if property were made available. The County Manager was assigned the task of looking into available property that the county owned.
At this meeting GCPP was made aware of a requested change to the operating model of the shelter. The Sheriff expressed a desire that the shelter be operated by GCPP going forward.
March 2023 – GCPP met with the Sheriff who again expressed the idea of GCPP taking over the operation of the shelter.
April 2023 – GCPP met with the County Manager to discuss how the shelter is currently operated, and available property options in the county. No properties were identified as available at this meeting. GCPP also discussed with the County Manager that the organization was not able to take on the annual operating cost of the shelter in addition to providing funding for a new building.
May 2023 – GCPP met with the Board of County Commissioners to workshop ideas on the future operating model of the shelter. The Sheriff presented four options for shelter operations:
- Maintain the current operating status with the shelter under the Sheriff’s Department.
- Pet Pals assumes operations/management of the shelter.
- Outsource the shelter management to a private entity.
- Enter into a cooperative agreement with another shelter to manage/house the county’s animals.
No decision on a shelter operating model was made at this workshop.
May 2023 – GCPP attended the quarterly Mayor and Manager’s meeting. The town managers were asked to identify any available land that could be donated or property with an existing building that could be retrofitted into a shelter. No options were identified at the meeting. Additionally, the town mayors/managers were notified by the Sheriff that consideration is being given to the towns, in conjunction with the county, funding the operating cost of a future shelter. The Sheriff discussed the option of potentially operating it like the current dispatch (911) model.
May 2023 – GCPP’s board met to discuss the status of the future shelter. The short time frame in which to obtain property and construct a building was of concern. The board approved the motion to launch a fund-raising campaign to purchase land since the towns/county have not been able to identify any available property.
May 2023 – GCPP representatives met with the Sheriff and Town Manager to discuss the start of the fundraising efforts. GCPP was made aware that there was a potential location for the shelter but conversation regarding that site is ongoing. Discussions pertaining to the shelter were to be part of the agenda for the June 6th meeting of the Board of County Commissioners.
During the spring, after many additional meetings with the commissioners, sheriff and Pet Pals, continued funding for the operating costs of the shelter was finally secured.
June 2023 – Pet Pals’ board became concerned about the delay in securing property through the county and began our own search of available land to purchase
During the summer, Pet Pals pursued various property options. Difficulties with zoning, water rights and CDOT have delayed the process.
July 2024 – We wanted to give everyone an update in regard to the new shelter. We are still raising the funds necessary to buy land and build the shelter as well as working with the town of Granby with the property by Kaibab Park. It’s been a slower process than we were hoping for but slow and steady gets the job done correctly. This has been a huge endeavor for Pet Pals and we thank everyone for their support. We are so grateful for the generosity of this community. Please know we are doing the best we can as a small non profit to ensure our animals are safe and sound up here in Grand County.
August 2024 – Town of Granby approved the Preliminary Plat for the new shelter build. Moving forward to the next stage.
October 2024 – We are thrilled to announce that we have officially signed the contract for the land that will become home to our new animal shelter. This milestone would not have been possible without the incredible support from the Town of Granby and our dedicated community. We have received an outpouring of generosity, and we are deeply grateful for every contribution made thus far.
May 2025 – We broke ground at the new shelter site with a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, May 5th!
Pet Pals is committed to building a shelter that will serve as a safe haven for Grand County’s animals, whether they are awaiting adoption or in need of temporary care until they can be reunited with their owners. This is an ambitious undertaking for our small nonprofit, but we are determined to make it a reality for all the animals that need us.
We still have a way to go to reach our fundraising goal of $2.5 million, or maybe more if we are lucky so we can build a shelter that will serve the county’s needs into the future. To date, we have raised approximately $2 million and we continue to seek the community’s support to bridge the gap. As of December, we need to raise $200,000-$300,000 to meet our goal.
Every donation, no matter the size, brings us one step closer to achieving this dream. Donate online using the button below, or mail a donation to PO Box 1972, Granby, CO 80446.
If you are interested in being a part of this project, please e-mail us at info@gcpetpals.org.
Thank you for being a part of this journey and for supporting the animals of our community.