Entering a new era for homeless animals
Companions Animal Center is the new name of the Kootenai Humane Society. The nonprofit is expected to completely phase out its old moniker by year's end.
Companions Animal Center volunteer dog walker Cathy Moehling is seen here with with 3-year-old German shepherd mix Delilah.
Construction is well underway on the new facility for Companions Animal Center, formerly Kootenai Humane Society. The building is expected to open by year's end. The $8 million capital campaign is still about $3 million from goal.
On its way to a new home, the Kootenai Humane Society is shedding its old moniker and taking on a new name — Companions Animal Center.
The nonprofit announced the rebrand Thursday. A news release from Companions Animal Center stated this is a new era for the homeless animals in a new location with a new name that will encompass the many aspects of the nonprofit's mission.
"The new facility has been under construction since November and the anticipated completion date is for the end of this year," the release states. "Along with the new animal center comes a new name, one that will convey the purpose, relevance and what the mission is all about — caring for our community's animals."
For 43 years, Kootenai Humane Society, now with its new name, has been at the pound-like location at the end of Ramsey Road in Hayden. It is a nonprofit, no-kill animal shelter that receives no government money, nor is it affiliated with national humane society organizations, which was often confusing with the previous name, development director Vicky Nelson said.
"Companions Animal Center effectively conveys the message and the purpose of what we're all about," Nelson said.
The new logo, crafted in house, features a dog, cat and rabbit with loving arms around them. This, along with the new name, will accompany the new building when it finally opens.
"We have thought and planned and hoped for this for so long," said Cindy Edington, president of the Companions Animal Center board of directors. "If you go to our old facility, and you see how much more we’ll be able to do at this new place, it's just a great feeling. It’s just a wow. It’s going to be great for the employees, great for the animals, great for the community."
Just more than $5.5 million has been pledged or received for the $8 million capital campaign for the new building, which is being constructed on Atlas Road just north of Hayden Avenue.
In more news for Companions Animal Center, an anonymous, animal-loving donor has stepped forward to crank up the capital campaign excitement. The donor has hired Coeur d'Alene advertising agency Blue 541 to promote the new name and logo while generating a bigger buzz around the capital campaign.
Visit companionsanimalcenter.org to see the new logo or to donate to the capital campaign.
