Despite a banner year with 23,565 animal adoptions and a record-setting $22 million budget, the Animal Humane Society will close one of its five local shelters so it can pour more resources into its other facilities and programs.
The nonprofit announced Monday that it will shutter its Buffalo location in November and offer jobs to 19 staff members at other facilities in Golden Valley, Coon Rapids, Woodbury and St. Paul.
Remaining animals will be sent to the other sites.
Staffers determined during a strategic planning process that the Buffalo facility, on Hwy. 55, is the least busy of the five. It houses about 2,100 animals each year, about 9 percent of the society's annual placements.
Only about 200 of those animals actually came from Buffalo; the rest came from parts of the metro area or were brought to Buffalo by humane society staffers.
"This strategic planning has included an assessment of our five locations and their potential for enhanced service delivery and continued growth. That process has led us to a difficult decision about our underutilized facility in rural Buffalo," President & CEO Janelle Dixon wrote in a letter to staffers, volunteers and donors.
Dixon stressed that the society, which employs 393 people and relies on 2,500 volunteers, is in good financial health.
"We are here. We are going strong. This helps us position for future efforts," she said.
