The Cedar Valley Humane Society, or CVHS, has helped over 7,000 animals in 47 municipalities, providing adoption services, training, vaccinations, microchipping, and end-of-life care to countless animals throughout 2023.
The CVHS society was founded in 1901 to help stray animals, homeless people, orphans, and abused women. In the early 1920s, the organization narrowed in on its current mission: helping animals in need.
In 1968, the main building at 7411 Mount Vernon Rd. SE on the outskirts of Cedar Rapids was constructed and hasn’t been updated since, with its 7,000-square-foot building serving about 7,000 animals annually from Linn County, Jones County, Benton County, and Johnson County, while space for animals continues to be in demand.
“We’re having to turn people away that need to surrender their animals, owned animals. We put them on a waiting list because we don’t have the space,” Executive Director Lonnie Viner said. “I don’t want to not have the space when there’s a need for it.”
In 2022, the CVHS launched its “Expanding Our Pawprint” capital campaign to address the need for more space. Phase 1, valued at $2.8 million, concluded in April 2023, adding a multipurpose building next to the main building. The new space offered many more opportunities for community engagement.
“[In the multipurpose building] we do humane-ed dog classes, basic obedience training. We have doggy play dates, we do kitten yoga for the public,” Viner said. “Humane education is really big for us in our community. We explain safety around animals to children in grade schools, we take bus trips out to the shelter.”
In phase 2 of the project, the CVHS seeks to add a new 10,000-square-foot adoption facility attached to the original building. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on March 26. The crowded spectacle reinforced the idea that the over 70 new parking spaces coming with the project would be a welcome addition.
Beginning in 2026, phase 3 will renovate the original building. The whole project hopes to add animal kennel capacity, updated HVAC systems, materials that will reduce sound amplification and thereby reduce animal stress, play yards, and new quarantine areas.
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The entire project is estimated to cost $9.6 million. Only around $1 million is all that is left to fund the rest of the project. CVHS is calling on its community members to donate whatever they can.
Viner believes the later addition will be instrumental for animal and staff quality of life, reducing the ravenous effects of ringworm and the fatal puppy disease parvo.
“Whenever we have a contagious outbreak, it spreads like wildfire because it’s in the air,” she said. “When those things come into our shelter, both highly contagious to other animals and to people, we all breathe the same air because we don’t have separate air handling systems.”
Operations Director Lyndee Schroeder said the added space will help stress levels on both sides of the kennel.
“It’s going to cut down on stress for the animals by a lot. And I think that will, in turn, cut down on the stress for people, and I think it’ll make meeting the animals more enjoyable for the public,” she said. “It’s really exciting to experience the difference. I think it’s a really special thing.”
Volunteer Coordinator Mallory Dudley helps guide the more than 300 volunteers at the facility. She said she looks forward to the added yards, which will allow more volunteers to walk dogs around the facility at the same time.
“I just started a year ago. It’s been kind of cool to be here right at the big transition,” she said. “It’s been exciting to be here at the beginning of something new.”