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“We had been doing small fundraisers every two weeks,” Hawke said. “We were raising small amounts through fundraisers and grants. We would have gotten there but it would have taken us months or years.”
The donation from the Kings means that the SPCA can begin with renovations almost immediately. Hawke anticipates construction beginning on the building within the next month.
Until the renovations are complete, the SPCA is closed to the public.
“The donations are going toward making everything safe so we can get the occupancy certificate,” Hawke said. “The money isn’t going towards ‘the pretties.’ It’s going to be used for things like a fire wall, exit door and water heater. But at least we’ll be able to open our doors to the public.”
Until the building is ready, the SPCA has been doing fostering and adoptions off site, some of which has been done through PetSmart.
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The Kings’ donation went a long way in assisting the renovations and Hawke said she struggled to find the best way to thank the couple.
“I tried to write them a thank you note and tore it up 20 times,” Hawke said. “I finally just said ‘I can’t think of the words. I’ll just show you through how hard I’ll work.’”
The Kings are no strangers to supporting animal causes; they donated funds for two dog parks, one in Springfield and the other in Clark County.
“We thought Krissi had a really good plan to help out Clark County animals and so we decided to make a donation and help it get going because every day we see so many strays and unwanted pets that people aren’t taking care of,” Dana King said.
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He added that they’ve been very impressed with what she’s accomplished.
“What she’s doing for these animals is very important,” Dana King said. “She’s got several different plans going as far as helping with the strays. Her adoption rate has also been unbelievable. We’ve just been very proud to help her accomplish more.”
For more information on adoptions or how to help the Clark County SPCA, call 937-925-6602.
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