Piatt County Animal Shelter moves forward with new facility

MONTICELLO, Ill. — After more than a decade of planning and fundraising, the Piatt County Animal Shelter is moving forward with a brand-new facility designed to better care for animals and expand services for the community.

Construction officially started earlier this month on the new shelter, which will be located across from the local dog park on Raymond Road. Shelter leaders said the new location will provide more room, better conditions for animals, and improved workspaces for volunteers.

"We've been working on this for 10 years," said Diana McPheeters, shelter director and board president. "We have $1.2 of the $1.5 million already raised, so we're still actively raising money for the remaining $300,000."

The shelter has been serving Piatt County for nearly two decades, though it has operated out of its current rented downtown location since 2014.

While foster homes helped fill the gap, McPheeters said it was difficult to showcase adoptable animals and connect them with permanent homes without a dedicated public-facing facility.

The current downtown location has helped give the shelter visibility. People walking through town or students coming from school can stop and look through the windows to see the cats inside.

"The only thing we'll be losing is the downtown presence, which is amazing," McPheeters said. "We have people looking in the windows and walking from school, walking on the square, and they can look in the windows and check out our kitties."

Still, the current building has limitations.

"It's a brick building and a lot of our walls are interior, so just a few kitties have windows," McPheeters said. "In this space, we planned it so every single animal will be able to have a window or a view of the outside."

She said natural sunlight and fresh air are essential for animal well-being, especially for pets that stay at the shelter for longer periods while waiting for the right adopter.

The new shelter will also include separate volunteer workspaces and additional room to reduce disease transmission and improve daily operations.

"We'll be able to keep animals healthier," McPheeters said. "Some animals stay with us for a considerable amount of time because the right person hasn't shown up."

The facility will also allow the shelter to care for more than just cats. McPheeters explained that, being in a rural county, they tend to see more cats, but the organization hopes to once again expand space for dogs and other small animals.

Volunteers remain at the heart of the shelter's mission.

"We are an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization," McPheeters said. "Even our staff members and board, nobody's paid. The community is the only reason that we have this facility and can operate."

McPheeters said the shelter hopes the new building will be ready by summer, followed by a transition period to move animals, equipment, and operations into the new space.

The shelter is still seeking donations to close the remaining funding gap. Donations can be made through the shelter's website.