MILPITAS — Adoption services at the Humane Society Silicon Valley are up and running after a fire that broke out last month destroyed half the building and temporarily closed the space.
However, shelter leaders say crucial operating rooms, like the medical center, are badly damaged and need to be relocated outside of their 901 Ames Ave location. The center is looking to rebuild the damaged parts of the building, a process that could take up to a year to complete.
On Dec. 16, a fire damaged the shelter’s laundry operations along with its medical areas, shelter operation offices and all the animal-holding areas. The adoption area also sustained damages, leaving only two-thirds of the floor operational. No employees, volunteers or animals were injured, according to the HSSV.
Nancy Willis, a HSSV vice president, said the shelter managed to recover and reopened for adoptions less than 48 hours after the fire at the location. More than 84 adoptions took place over a four-day period, and around 100 animals found their “forever homes.”
But the shelter’s biggest challenge has been finding a larger space to preform surgery on animals, Willis said. So far, they have been operating out of HSSV’s Wellness Waggin’, a fully-equipped mobile surgical unit where staff can drive around provide free spay and neuter and wellness clinics. Willis said they are working on an alternative location to access a clinic and surgery room.
Demolition on the shelter’s damaged rooms will begin in the upcoming weeks, and construction is expected to be completed in nine to 13 months. To keep pet adoptions and housing going during that time, Willis said staff is looking into relocating animals to foster homes that partner with HSSV.
“We’re using every tool in our tool kit to help us in this time to help animals get placed in homes,” she said.
Willis said the shelter is grateful for the support of community members, who immediately volunteered to relocate 92 animals from the shelter to foster homes after the fire, and donate 300 bags of blankets and towels.
“The community was amazing,” Willis said. “Literally from the moment they heard about it, they were asking how they could help or donate.”
The HSSV has reached storage capacity for such items and can no longer accept them on-site. Willis said the shelter at this point is encouraging monetary donations from the community as staff figures out the costs associated with demolition, construction and other services including renting storage spaces.
The HSSV consists of more than 150 employees and more than 3,000 volunteers. Last year, the shelter found homes for more than 6,100 animals.