The Ark Animal Shelter in Cherryfield continues fundraising for new facility

CHERRYFIELD, Maine (WABI) - After nearly four decades of providing shelter for homeless animals, The Ark Animal Shelter in Cherryfield is nearing completion on a new facility.

The Ark is still fundraising for the building’s completion, which at the moment sits half-finished behind the current facility. It’s a fact of life for non-profits like The Ark, where the work never stops and the need never goes away.

“We need about another $200,000 to really complete the project,” said Shelter Manager Lori Pilvines. “So we’re still working on fundraising to try to get that done. You know, nothing’s ideal, but the community has been really good about stepping up and helping us out.”

“A lot of shelters are full right now,” Director of Operations Danielle Bauer added. “There’s need all across the country. So any space we can get to expand that helps the big picture, and it’s a good opportunity for the community to support us and be a part of something huge for the Ark.”

The Ark Animal Shelter has been in Cherryfield since 1984, and has the antiquated look and feel of a facility that’s been around for nearly forty years and is long overdue for an upgrade.

“Right now we have the two buildings’” Pilvines said. “It’s not really set up well even for people visiting.”

“This is going to be such a game changer,” said Bauer. “The Ark has been around for a very long time and it’s always been a shelter that we do what we can right now we only have three functional camels. So, it’s been a lot of making due with what we have, using nooks and crannies as safely as we can.”

The Ark Animal Shelter’s new space will more than double the amount of kennels for dogs, and provide more space for cats, and according to the staff will make day-to-day operations much easier.

They hope to be in by late spring or early summer, and say they can’t wait.

“We’re looking at it every day,” Pilvines said. “And every day we see a little more going up and it’s just like, ‘Oh my god, we’re gonna get in there soon.’ Yeah, we’re really looking forward to it.”

“Sometimes when they’re not working on the building,” Bauer said, “I’ll go out there and kind of take a tour and be like, ‘Hey, this is where the lobby is gonna be. This is where the candles are gonna be.’ It’s very exciting.”

The Ark will be holding another fundraiser at the Franklin VFW in March.

For more information, follow The Ark Animal Shelter on Facebook, and to donate visit thearkpets.org.

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