New Animal Shelter Nearly Ready

Snowmass Village Sun
August 24, 2005


Copper is a smart, athletic, 9-year-old with adorable brown eyes. She used to have a day job. Now, she’s hoping to be adopted to a family as nice as the one that adopted her sister, Nickel. Copper is former Krabloonik sled dog, waiting in the kennel of the Aspen/Pitkin Animal Shelter to be adopted.

On a warm night this summer, the smell of hay tickled the nose at the Chapparal ranch site on Woody Creek’s lower River Road. Inside the barn of the new equestrian center, dogs danced around the horse stalls instead of hay-chewing equines.

This is a dog-friendly valley, and it is not unusual to still find dog biscuits in containers at the counter of banks and other businesses. For the last 33 years, stray dogs and cats from Aspen and Pitkin County have found a home at the no-kill shelter in the Aspen Business Center. Seth Sachson has been the executive director since the mid-1990s.

“The building is showing its age,” said Sachson, standing behind the front counter of the current shelter that is housed in one of the small, wood-frame structures in the far back of the ABC. “And our space for the dogs is extremely limited. We need a larger, more modern facility.”

For the last three years, plans have been in the works to accomplish Sachson’s wish.

Improving quality of life
During July, the third annual Bow Wow Ball was held to raise funds for the $2.6 million capital campaign that is being pledged toward the construction of a new Aspen-Pitkin Animal Shelter across from the airport and alongside Highway 82. The total budget is approximately $3.5 million and significant contributions have been made by the city of Aspen and Pitkin County. It is anticipated that the new shelter will be ready late this year.

“The new shelter will definitely improve the quality of the lives of the animals housed there,” explained Bland Nesbit, an animal shelter volunteer and the board secretary of the capital campaign.

To help that dream become a reality, Woody Creek residents Cheryl and Sam Wyly pledged a donation of $600,000 at this year’s Bow Wow event, conditioned on the county and the city paying their contributions.

“Cheryl Wyly is amazing,” said Sachson. “I was at the Saturday farmer’s market in town showing a few of the dogs we have for adoption, and she walked up out of the blue and asked how she could help. This last donation is only one of the many things she’s done to help us the last few years.”

But the second silent auction was uniquely doggy: 16 local architects and builders designed and created Hound Hauses (and one cat house) to be auctioned off during the third-annual Bow Wow. One is patterned in the shape of dog, another one looks like a saloon and a third one has been constructed “tongue in cheek” out of cedar and galvanized metal siding.

The new two-story shelter will spread out over 9,000 square feet. The county donated an acre of land near the RFTA bus barn, and the city offered $500,000 and a little more land.

For Copper, Montana, Nickel and the other Krabloonik dogs up for adoption through Sachson’s operations, having a place to go is a “life and death” difference to them.

Adoptions underway
After local media attention focused on Krabloonik’s now-abandoned practice of killing unwanted dogs, Sachson and Krabloonik owner Dan MacEachen worked out an arrangement for Sachson to take a few of the unwanted dogs to the boarding kennel and put them up for adoption. So far, three Krabloonik dogs have been adopted and three more are currently waiting adoption at the ABC facility.

Since there is an official animal control facility in Snowmass Village (a very small one), Sachson can’t use funds from the Pitkin County shelter. Sachson raises private funds to take care of the Krabloonik dogs as well as provide neutering or any other medical treatments they may need.

Presently, Krabloonik vaccinates the dogs for rabies. Photos and descriptions of the Krabloonik dogs up for adoption can be seen at the Web site dogsaspen.com. According to Sachson, a $2,000 pledge has been made for the Krabloonik dogs, if others will match that amount.

“Because the Krabloonik dogs are not the responsibility of Pitkin County, Seth has had to pay for all their expenses through his own and private funds,” explained board secretary Nesbit. “It would be great if Krabloonik would set up a fund for their retired dogs to help out with the costs. I bet that given the opportunity, Krabloonik guest-sledders would be happy to donate some dollars to such a fund for the dogs that pulled them through the wilderness.”

Those who wish to make a contribution to help the Krabloonik dogs become adopted can contact Sachson at 544-0206, go to their Web site, dogsaspen.com, or can learn more about adopting a Krabloonik dog at the Krabloonik Web site, krabloonik.com.