An open field across from the Dean and Barbara White Southlake YMCA could potentially be the site of Crown Point’s first pet adoption and resource center but multiple hurdles still remain.
New Leash on Life has entered into a purchase agreement on the land at 12430 South Court Street to create a 20,000-square-foot building that will also serve as a low-cost veterinary clinic. Donna Burrell Pace, founder of New Leash on Life, said it will be the first facility of its kind in South Lake County with a goal of opening in 2028.
“We saw the need and how South Lake County needs something down here,” Pace said. “People are excited. They know the city needs this and they’re grateful that somebody came out to help build this to fill that need for not only the city of Crown Point, but also Lowell, Cedar Lake, Winfield and surrounding places. And it’ll help relieve a lot of the stress on the other shelters in the other areas.”
The property is includes 19 acres of grassy fields in the area of Burrell Drive and Court Street, just north of St. Jude House. The area’s perimeter is wooded with a large pond at the back.
“The actual building area will be around nine acres and the rest of it will stay a pond and green space,” Pace said.
However, the area is currently zoned as residential. ONAug. 24, the organization’s engineering firm, DVG Team Inc., is set to go before Crown Point’s Board of Zoning Appeals to make a request to rezone the property from residential to commercial. This is a required next step in the organization’s due diligence period, in which they must pursue a variance change, gain city approval and conduct soil samples on the property.
The no-kill animal shelter will care for dogs, cats, and small companion mammals and will also include a low cost veterinary clinic, a pantry of pet food and supplies and public spaces. Being situated among the Dean and Barbara White YMCA, St. Jude House, Crown Point High School, St. Matthias Catholic Parish and other nonprofits was an ideal location, Pace said.
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“We’re trying to build up a whole community area since we’re all nonprofits over there. We also have In-Pact to the north, which helps people with disabilities,” Pace said. “So that was a big portion of why we wanted to be there. Another reason is that the whole parcel is wooded, and with the pond right there, we can create walking paths and make that a nice environment for people to come and grab a dog and go for a walk.”
Pace said New Leash on Life plans to partner with St. Jude House to house animals whose owners are suffering from emergencies and survivors of domestic abuse.
“Statistics show 48 percent of women hesitate leaving an abusive environment if they have a pet,” Pace said. “So we’ll be able to house their pet and have a living room area for them so they can come visit their pet while they’re over at the St. Jude House. And on the other hand, we’ll be able to bring dogs or puppies over to the St. Jude House. So if they need a little pick me up, we can bring some animals over there to cheer them up.”
However, some residents have brought up concerns such as noise, safety and property home value. Pace said last week, she became aware of a flier that was posted on a Crown Point community-centric Facebook page asking residents to speak out before the variance approval.
Sam Kozaitis, of Crown Point, said he agrees with the creation of a new shelter, but does not believe the proposed Court Street location is the best choice.
“In my opinion this city is in dire need of this but not in this area,” Kozaitis said. “There has to be a better piece of land that meets the zoning and would mesh better with its surrounding neighborhoods. I would like to see one of our local developers step up and donate or at least help acquire a better suited parcel that would not be a nuisance to its surroundings. I would think anywhere off of Mississippi Parkway south of U.S. 231 behind the hospital would be an ideal location. Back it up against I-65 in that area, and it would be surrounded by warehouses that wouldn’t be affected by the noise.”
Susan McKendry, of Crown Point, said while she is also in favor of a new shelter, she believes a better location exists, citing potential disturbance to the nearby women and children’s shelter. Crown Point Resident Chad Charles said he lives in the area of the Franciscan Crown Point campus and is concerned with noise affecting surrounding neighborhoods.
“A variance at this point is another slap in the face for current homeowners of the area,” Charles said. “First, medical facilities with immediate access to ER services pull out and now a mega center for homeless howling pets is replacing residential homes. I hope the assessor plans on reducing the property valuations accordingly. Current homeowners had every reason to believe Crown Point’s investment for family and retirement was safe, not this kind of stab in the back politics.”
Pace said while there will be outside areas, the dogs will never be left outside unattended, and will be with a staff member or volunteer at all times. Dr. Danielle Kreis, New Leash’s Consulting Veterinarian, said she and her mother, Pace, toured animal shelters and veterinary facilities throughout the U.S. to shape their vision.
Rather than having dog kennels lined up across from each other like in traditional shelters, the New Leash on Life design will have kennels on one side facing a hallway to reduce barking and stress.
“I think the biggest concern, and understandably so, is the noise, because we are going to house upwards of 50-plus animals,” Kreis said. “Dogs do tend to bark, especially our larger dogs. But with our architects, with our engineers, we’re working to make sure that the inside of the building is soundproof.”
Groups like Whiskers in Winfield and Feline Community Network Resource Center have recently voiced public support of the project and location. Michelle Duca, founder and executive director of Feline Community Network Resource Center, said Northwest Indiana needs more resources for pets, saying “no single shelter, rescue, clinic or nonprofit can solve the challenges facing Northwest Indiana by itself.”
“The need is tremendous and continues to grow,” Duca said. “Those of us working in animal welfare across Northwest Indiana see every day that our current resources simply cannot keep up with the number of animals and families needing help. South Lake County is an especially important area to look at. Communities like Crown Point, Cedar Lake, Lowell and the surrounding areas continue to grow, but access to affordable animal services has not necessarily grown along with them. We need to stop looking at animal welfare as simply having somewhere to take an unwanted animal. We need resources that prevent that animal from entering a shelter in the first place.”
Duca said the overall problem is solved when people have access to affordable spay and neuter services, vaccinations, microchipping, basic veterinary care and cat trap-neuter-return resources.
“When families can’t afford veterinary care or can’t find accessible spa and neuter services, problems compound very quickly,” Duca said. “Shelters and rescues then become the safety net. We cannot adopt our way out of the animal overpopulation problem. We have to invest in prevention and accessible services on the front end.”
Pete Dragojevic, national president of Blue Warrior Tactics Inc., said he looks forward to partnering with New Leash on Life. His nonprofit organization for law enforcement K-9 training helps officers and pet owners rehome police dogs and civilian pets when the need arises.
“…New Leash on Life is extremely needed for these animals to get healthcare, love and giving the innocent animals a fighting chance to be loved once again by us humans. Blue Warrior Tactics will become community partners with New Leash on Life to strengthen the mission and most importantly, keep these dogs from being euthanized, which is absolutely unacceptable,” He said. “When nonprofit organizations unite and partner up, we quickly become powerful advocates for these innocent animals, giving them huge hope for the dogs’ well being and well deserved love and protection.”
Until they are able to build their facility, New Leash on Life is planning to get a mobile unit, where they can drive to pet owner’s homes to provide care and treatment.
“We want to do a mobile clinic so we can get out there now and help people that need pet vaccines or need a wellness check on their pet, if they can’t get into a clinic to do it,” Pace said.
The organization’s next step is raising $10 million through a capital campaign, in which donors can get the chance to name parts of the building, rooms and more after themselves, loved ones, or in memory of their pets.
“We don’t want this to be a scary ‘going to the dog pound’ kind of situation,” Kreis said. “ We want it to be a community center. Even if you aren’t able to adopt a pet, we’d love to see you come in and work on your laptop and hang out with the puppies or socialize a scared dog, or, you know, bring your knitting club here. We want to get everybody in the community involved. This is something we want as an educational resource and a community resource for everyone, including having a pet supply pantry and food pantry. So we can have community members, especially during the storms, come in and get supplies that they need.”
Anna Ortiz is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
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