CROOKSTON -- Dogs and cats wagged, wiggled and meowed in take-me-home tones Tuesday morning inside the soon-to-be reopened Humane Society of Polk County.
Daisy, a possible Boxer-mix with black and white coloring, caught the eye of Anna Phalen, 18.
Phalen, a recent Crookston High School graduate, stopped by the shelter in search of a pet and opportunities to volunteer. She found both.
Humane Society members are set to reopen the no-kill shelter Sunday, closed since 2006, and there are about 30 animals -- seven dogs and at least 20 cats -- ready for adoption.
It's a "work in progress," according to Mary Solberg, board member and the society's founder. Members are looking for volunteers to help set up the shelter, shop for supplies and take care of the animals. They also are looking for financial assistance to keep the place running.
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Right now, there's no long-term source of revenue that will keep the shelter operating through the year. Solberg estimates monthly costs at $3,000, including electric and heating bills, the cost of food and cleaning supplies, and veterinary costs. The estimate doesn't include full-time or part-time workers; members hope to fill that gap with volunteers.
"Realistically, I don't know how we're going to stay open," Solberg said.
Previously, financial support came from 230 memberships, according to board member Toby Solberg. The organization's goal is for 300 people to contribute $10 each per month in order to meet their operating needs.
"I can't predict how it will go; my hopes are that it will work," he said.
According to board member Betty Chapman, one source of revenue will come from a thrift store, set to open on the upper floor of the building late this summer. The upper floor formerly housed a bingo hall. The shelter took a financial hit in 2003 when it lost its charitable gaming license.
Since last December, the shelter building was redeemed from foreclosure proceedings, and a new governing board shot down a previous motion that called for the shelter's dissolution.
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