Elmore SPCA moves into new, yet familiar location

Elmore SPCA is home again. The animal shelter, which has been housed on Arthur Road for the past three years, returned to its former Telegraph Road location this week, officially opening on Friday. "It's great to be back," said Carol Solari-Ruscoe, secretary of the nonprofit organization's board of directors. "It was always our plan to return ... it just took us three years to do it." The shelter was relocated to Arthur Road when the physical conditions of the Telegraph Road began to deteriorate, said Solari-Ruscoe. "The [old] building was falling apart," she said. "We had so many issues with sewage, water and a mice infestation. It was just a mess." The organization couldn't afford the "extensive repairs" the building would need at the time, said Solari-Ruscoe, so the decisionwas made to move. The last three years has consisted of several fundraisers and soliciting for donations which helped mainly cover day-to-day expenses such as utilities, food, and the like for the shelter's animals. However, it wasn't until Solari-Ruscoe's aunt, Constance Del Favio, passed away, that a trust fund in her name was able to help boost Elmore SPCA to the point where they could make the move back to their old home. "The money she left was earmarked for animals, and it was up to my discretion what to do with it," said Solari-Ruscoe. Instantly, Solari-Ruscoe said she knew she wanted to help fund the renovations of the Telegraph Road building to make the move back. The money left from her aunt's estate, combined with money from various fundraisers, the sale of property owned by Elmore SPCA and the donations of countless members of the community led to making the approximately $55,000 renovation project a fully-funded reality. "At this point in time, there's no debt associated with the renovation or the move," said Solari-Ruscoe. The renovations to the Telegraph Road building have involved "gutting" the building and installing new walls, electrical wiring, heating and septic system. "Those things had to be done," said Solari-Ruscoe. Improvements have also included creating more usable space for the approximately 65 cats and dogs currently cared for by shelter staff, creating a crating area for animals brought in by animal control officers that is accessible to them 24 hours a day, and creating an open area for dogs to roam on a zipline system, among other improvements. The overall process, led by project managers Bonnie and Arnie Miller, has been a lengthy one, said Solari-Ruscoe. "If it wasn't for them, their time, their work and contacts, this wouldn't have gotten done," said Solari-Ruscoe, adding she credited the countless others who donated toward the cause. The next step for Elmore SPCA will be an expansion to further accommodate the growing population of animals taken in by the no-kill shelter. That process, however, is one the board of directors acknowledges will take even longer, said Solari-Ruscoe. "We'd love for it to happen next year, but we know that's not likely going to happen," she said. The new Elmore SPCA location at 556 Telegraph Road is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and may be reached at 643-2451. The shelter is closed Sundays and Mondays.

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Elmore SPCA moves into new, yet familiar location

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