Dorn Foundation helps local animal shelter

SANDUSKY — A local foundation is giving $50,000 in matching funds to the Humane Society of Erie County's campaign to expand and improve its shelter.The grant from the Randolph J. and Estelle M. Dorn Foundation is doubling donations made to the campaign by local individuals and companies, said Julie Brooks, director of the capital campaign."It's a dollar-to-dollar match," Brooks said. "We believe in heroes and the Dorn Foundation is certainly one of our heroes."The Humane Society is recognized as a nonprofit by the federal government, so all donations can be used as income tax deductions.The Humane Society is carrying out an expansion and renovation of its shelter at 1911 Superior St. The shelter will increase in size from about 4,000 square feet to about 7,900 square feet.When construction is finished, the capacity for housing cats will go up from 70 to 120. Dog housing will go from 14 to 19 units, and the shelter will be able to take in big dogs. On Wednesday morning, the shelter held 74 cats and 14 dogs.Brooks said the total project cost is $700,000 and the work is being done in three phases. Phase One, which has been completed, paid for a large addition to the building.Phase Two consists of renovations to the existing interior and will be completed soon. About $150,000 needs to be raised to complete the expansion and carry out Phase Three, Brooks said.The Dorn Foundation was founded in 1971 and is the legacy of industrial Randolph J. Dorn and his wife, Estelle, who once lived in the Cooke-Dorn House, 1415 Columbus Ave., now a museum. The foundation's 2017 Form 990F filed with the IRS listed total assets of $25,381,189.The construction project will allow the shelter to do a better job of taking care of abandoned and unwanted animals until new homes can be found for them, Brooks said.Brooks has two dogs and three cats in her home.The dogs are a standard poodle, 13 years old, and a miniature schnauzer, six years old. All three cats are rescue cats."Everybody who has been donating has the passion. They want to improve the lives of animals," Brooks said. "This is a totally locally effort that allows people to do that."Want to help?You can mail a check to the Humane Society of Erie County, 1911 Superior St., Sandusky, Ohio, 44870. Identify the donation as a capital campaign contribution.Brett Spencer of Telamon Construction takes a break from to hold a kitten available for adoption at the Humane Society of Erie County in Sandusky on Aug. 23, 2018.Julie Brooks, a member of the Erie County Humane Society Board, sits with an adoptable dog on her lap in Sandusky on Aug. 23, 2018.