Angels for Animals wants to spread wings

By Denise Dick | June 20, 2015 at 12:00a.m.

Angels for animals plans to add veterinary clinic

GREENFORD

Fifteen years ago, Diane Less had a dream few thought would become a reality.

But in 2002, Angels for Animals built and opened a $3 million animal shelter and rental hall on 37 acres on state Route 165, the site of a former slaughterhouse. Before that, Angels operated first out of the homes and farms of Less and the organization’s other co-founder. It then moved into a former industrial chicken house before building the Route 165 facility.

Now, Less, Angels director and co-founder, has another dream: a 24-hour, seven-day full-service medical wing at the shelter.

Plans call for a 25,000-square-foot addition – more than twice the size of the existing shelter.

It will allow Angels to meet the growing need for medical services, said Lauren Potts, Angels

outreach director.

“We have surgeries scheduled two to three weeks out,” she said. “We get 300 medical calls a day.”

One person fields those calls.

“In truth, we need it,” Potts said. “The community needs it.”

Of the 34 Angels employees, 20 of them are medical personnel, Less said.

But the Angels Wing has a higher purpose, too.

It would help other shelters and animal-rescue groups.

Those organizations stage fundraisers and then take animals in their charge to private veterinarians for vaccinations, spaying and neutering. Those costs add up, eating away at rescues’ raised dollars.

The Angels Wing would provide those same services, as well as emergency services, at a lower cost, Less said. It would be open to the public, offering full veterinary services.

“It would serve five counties,” she said.

Less envisions similar facilities throughout the state, providing low-cost vet services.

Offering spay and neuter at a lower cost will reduce the number of unwanted pets that fill pounds and shelters, Less reasons.

For example, Angels spays cats for $45, or neuters for $35. Dog spays cost between $80 and $130 depending on the animal’s size. Dog neuter prices range between $60 and $110, depending on the dog’s size.

All pets adopted from Angels are spayed or neutered before they’re available for adoption. It’s a practice Less believes others should follow.

“We’re a no-birth shelter,” she said.

An unspayed cat, mate and their kittens, producing two litters per year can total 12 cats in one year and nearly 12 million cats in nine years.

Two unaltered dogs and their pups can produce 67,000 dogs in six years.

Once built, the surgery center and wellness clinics would move into the new wing. Any animals with medical conditions would go directly to the medical area, reducing contact with other animals. The Angels Wing also will house a reception area for public vet appointments. It also will provide ample space to keep dog and cat patients separate. Available treatments will include dental exams, X-rays and ultrasounds. Less’ vision also calls for a second-floor dormitory-style living area to allow college students and interns to live on-site.

The Angel Wing Campaign formally kicks off at Angels’ 25th anniversary party Aug. 6 at The Lake Club. Angels incorporated in 1990.

The event begins at 6 p.m., and the cost is $50 per ticket. Ohio animal-welfare and protection advocate Jeff Holland is the guest speaker. Food, wine, music, a silent auction and raffle are part of the evening’s agenda.

Call Stephanie McMurray, anniversary event chairwoman, at 330-509-1128, or Less at 330-502-5352, for tickets or information.

Organizers hope donors contribute $200 for each square foot, the square-footage cost. When construction begins and how quickly the wing is completed depends on fundraising.

Less recognizes hers is a big dream.

“We hope people see an opportunity here for animals,” she said. “If we don’t do it, who will?”