PRESS RELEASE/ANNOUNCEMENT
Status Update: July 23, 2014
Healdsburg Animal Shelter To Transfer All Shelter Functions and Assets to Sonoma Humane Society
Healdsburg Animal Shelter (HAS) and Sonoma Humane Society (SHS), with the approval of the City of Healdsburg, have agreed upon a plan to transfer all HAS assets, including the unfinished shelter building, to SHS.
California’s Office of Attorney General has approved the transaction. As a non-profit, public-service corporation, State guidelines permit such transfers to other qualified non-profit organizations. SHS more than qualifies as a recipient since its corporate structure and purpose are nearly identical to those of HAS. Final transfer will occur shortly after appropriate documents are signed and recorded.
After the resolution of HAS’s lawsuit to recover damages for construction defects in its new building, the two organizations evaluated a variety of options to assure the future use of the new building as an animal shelter in accordance with the original donors’ wishes. HAS intends to transfer ownership of the building and assign all rights under its land lease to SHS. All remaining assets of HAS, including surplus cash, will also be transferred to SHS.
SHS was chosen by HAS to receive its assets based upon its exemplary record of achievement in humane animal care, its competent management, and its solid financial position. These criteria mirror those applied by the City of Healdsburg when it chose SHS, in partnership with Petaluma Animal Services Foundation (PASF), to succeed HAS as its contract providers for animal control and care within the City.
After the transfer of assets, HAS will be dissolved as a corporate entity. Its more than 50-year tradition of providing humane animal sheltering services will be carried on by SHS and PASF. The new site, named the Healdsburg Center, is already established and is currently being operated by SHS out of mobile facilities next to the new building on Bacchus Landing Way, just across Westside Road from the old shelter location.
Once SHS receives ownership of the building and all land lease rights, SHS will proceed with plans to complete the new building as an animal shelter. “The animals and people of Healdsburg deserve a vibrant and modern animal shelter,” said Kiska Icard, SHS Executive Director. “When you couple the Healdsburg Community’s love of companion animals with the extensive and compassionate animal welfare experience of the Sonoma Humane Society, it creates the perfect pairing for a world-class animal resource center serving Healdsburg and the North County area. We look forward to working with the local community to make this a reality.”
For more information, visit SHS at sonomahumanesociety.org and select About Us / Healdsburg).