In our beginnings, it all began with an idea of a kennel building...
"If We Build It - They Can Come"
In the Summer of 2003, a dream was launched when Carol and Dan offered a piece of their property for the sole purpose of building a kennel to house retired racers, allowing the group to order a few extra dogs whenever the truck brought them across country in search of temporary homes. The kennel would be a vital part of the group's ability to house greyhounds and have them readilly available when potential adoptors would call.
First the pad was poured, with heat, water, and power running through the floor. Then, a three dimensional structure started to spring up when a few of us got together in early October 2004. We drilled holes in the pad, filled them with glue, stood up the rebar in the holes, and began threading the concrete blocks over the rebar, layering mortar in between.
One weekend of "playing in the mortar" was enough for us to understand why professional normally handle this stuff, and that we were a pack of amateurs. The actual standing walls are the work of professionals who were brought in to finish the brick work... whew!
With a few more fundraisers, the return of the sunshine, and the support of hound lovers all around, next summer will see the completion of the kennel... and all for the love of greyhounds!
In April of 2006, thanks to a very generous $2,000.00 contribution from the Petco Foundation, construction resumed on the kennel structure.
In July of 2006, the framing is done, the walls are up, and the roof is on and tarpapered! What progress! The next items on the list are the windows, the roofing, the interior dividers, the dog doors, the ouside runs, and lastly the exterior fencing. Here are a few pictures of the progress.
(click on images to view close ups)
August of 2006 brought even more progress on the kennel. The roofing tin was installed, the outside doors were hung, and the windows installed. Thanks to the direction of a skilled carpenter and the very hard work of Dan and Ethan Tripp, the building is very nearly closed in for the closely approaching winter weather.
January of 2008, the final steps included the purchase and installation of the doggie doors, boiler, electrical and plumbing materials and fixtures, and the inside and outside runs. At this point, Dan estimated that it would take approximately $10,000.00 to complete the kennel and put out the Welcome Mat for incoming hounds to call the place home.
The final pictures, taken in February of 2009! After a lot of hard work, many hound-friendly helpers, and even some four-legged assistants... The final result - a happy home for happy hounds!
As with any structure, annual maintenance and updates are always needed. Contributions are always welcome to keep the kennel "running" at full speed with its tenants. Please take a moment to visit our Donations Page before leaving our site. Even small amounts help more than anyone could possibly know!
