Supporters of the effort to relocate the Riverhead Town animal shelter turned out for a North Fork Animal Welfare League fundraiser last night at Martha Clara Vineyards in Riverhead.
The NFAWL “Summer Extravaganza” featured music by Danny Kean & Friends, food by the Riverhead Project, and an open bar.
On display at the event were plans for the construction of the Troxel Pavilion, to be built in Calverton adjoining the town’s Henry Pfeifer Community Center, which will be renovated and converted to house such shelter services as dog training, medical isolation and administration. NFAWL will use designated capital funds to build state-of-the-art dog kennels in a new building adjoining the existing structure, the organization said in a press release.
The project is “a strategic and collaborative effort” between the NFAWL, Riverhead Move the Animal Shelter and the Town of Riverhead has signed a lease, NFAWL said in the release.
A lease agreement with the town has been signed, the organization said.
“The new location will better meet the needs of the animals in our care,” NFAWL executive director Gillan Pultz said. “It will also provide added support for our current mission in Riverhead by offering comprehensive animal care services, including medical assessment, temperament testing with behavior modification and enrichment for all needy domestic animals,” she said. “The new location will serve the entire East End,” Pultz said.
NFAWL said a “rigorous fundraising initiative” is needed to support and complete the construction, the cost of which is expected to exceed $600,000. The organization received a $300,000 bequest from Mattituck resident Patricia Troxel in 2006. According to its attorney at a June Riverhead Town Board hearing, the organization has about $322,624 available from the bequest plus interest, which is dedicated to the construction of a new shelter.
“NFAWL and RMTAS will reach out to all animal lovers, including corporate partners, on the East End,” NFAWL said in the press release.
NFAWL operates shelters in both Southold and Riverhead. Its mission is to provide for the welfare of homeless animals by insuring rescue for the lost, care for the sick and placement in permanent homes.
{gallery}2014_0809_nfawl{/gallery}
