BY KADIE TAYLOR | THE OBSERVER
AUBURN/OPELIKA — A local nonprofit dog and cat rescue organization urgently needs to find forever homes for animals in its care after learning last week its new landlord won’t be renewing its lease.
After 10 years of operating out of their current location at 1027 Opelika Road, the building’s new owner informed the shelter on July 30 that Woof Ave. must move by Sept. 30.
“We don’t own the building here, we rent it,” said Woof Ave. groomer Stefanie Tolbert. “In the last year or so, we got a new owner of the building, and he let us know that we have until Sept. 30 to be out of the building because he wants to go in a different direction. That’s all that we were told. So, we have less than 60 days now to figure out where to go — most importantly, somewhere for all the animals to go. Because realistically, there are not a lot of options in 60 days.”
Tolbert said although many of the cats and dogs can be adopted, some have medical or behavioral difficulties requiring further help before they are ready for their forever home.
“We take in a lot of animals that are not really adoptable yet,” she said. “We have a lot of abuse cases, neglect cases, behavioral issues and medical issues that places like CARE Humane Society or (the city’s) Animal Control also can’t take. We have a lot of animals that are going to be easy to adopt if the right people can come along, but we have a lot [of other animals] that we really need somewhere to take them.”
Tolbert said she enjoys working at Woof Ave. and watching animals with difficult pasts find their forever homes.
“I’ve shaved some of these dogs that come in, that are neglect cases and have been super matted,” she said. “And I get to see them when they’ve gone to a home, how good they look, how happy they are and how much they enjoy getting to go to a home. So, it’s a very fulfilling job.”
Tolbert said the relocation will be difficult not only because they must quickly find a new home large enough to accommodate the number of cats and dogs now in its care, but also because many of the animals have become comfortable with their home at Woof Ave. and may have difficulty adjusting to a new location.
“This is kind of their safe space that they’ve gotten used to — they like the people, can decompress and everything like that,” she said. “We are a no-kill shelter, so it just makes it really hard when you have such a short time to work with. We’re trying to push adoptions mostly so that we can at least get the easier to adopt ones out and then figure out what to do with the rest of them.”
As the owner and employees of Woof Ave. work to find a new home and relocate its operations, they are asking the community for help.
For those interested in adopting a pet, Woof Ave. has reduced fees.
“Right now, we’re running specials on the adoption fees,” she said. “The dogs are $75 [and] the cats are $25. We have a form on the Woof Ave. Rescue Facebook page where they can fill out an adoption form.”
Those who cannot adopt are asked to support their efforts with donations.
“We have a GoFundMe set up, and it’s on Woof Ave. Rescue Facebook page,” Tolbert said. “We’re trying to raise money to help if we decide to build somewhere else or to find a new location. The money raised will also help us to move the cats and dogs in general or if we have to board some of them temporarily in other places while we get set up in a new facility.”
For more information about Woof Ave., visit www.woofave.com or follow them on Facebook.
