Demand for Shelter services continued to rise throughout the 80s and into the 90s, growing to 5,381 by 1991. Once again, The Shelter was faced with a dilemma as the Empey Building was handling nearly twice as many animals each year as it was designed to serve. Three critical events in 1992 helped The Shelter find the solution.
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First, Linda McGuire was hired as its first Executive Director. This put into action The Shelter’s strategy of finding outstanding professional management talent to lead the day-to-day operations of the organization. Second, the name changed from the Humane Society & Animal Shelter to the Bay Area Humane Society & Animal Shelter to more accurately reflect our role in helping communities through the Metro area with animal services. Finally, our forward-thinking board of directors, recognizing the limitations of the Empey Building, made the decision to organize a Capital Campaign to raise funds for a new Shelter. Through the generosity of many organizations and individuals, our successful Capital Campaign afforded The Shelter an opportunity to build again. In July 1995, we moved to our current facility at 1830 Radisson Street, where we now serve nearly 6,000 animals a year.
These three events, combined with the introduction of our most successful fundraisers The Angel Campaign, Fur Ball, and BrewFest have greatly enhanced The Shelter’s organizational stability, and its ability to remain independent of local, state, or federal funding.
In 1999, The Shelter received an unexpected financial boost in the form of a major bequest from Robert and June McMahon. It allowed us to pay off the mortgage on the Radisson Street building and increase our endowment fund, two steps that will strengthen our ability to continue to provide the Bay Area with the animal humane services they’ve come to depend on.
After more than 40 years and thousands of tails, the Bay Area Humane Society & Animal Shelter, Inc. is still operating with the spirit and inspiration of our founders. We love animals. And we’re making our community a better place for both pets and people. With your help, we’ll continue adding new chapters to the success story into the 21st century and beyond.
Shelter Information >>
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