NAMPA, Idaho — A cat shelter and adoption center in Nampa is at risk of being shut down if they can't come up with the money for a new roof. Their current roof started leaking water earlier this month.
The Canyon County Pet Haven cares for about 70 cats that would otherwise be stray or euthanized. They're desperately trying to come up with funds to save both the facility and the cats that live there.
"That money is essential for the operation here," said Nancy Smith, the president of Canyon County Pet Haven.
The shelter has been operating in Nampa since 1972 and been in its current building since 1996. After 23 years of wear and tear, the shelter needs a new roof.
"We had a leak," Smith said. "We were aware that we had a leak, but we didn't realize how bad it was. One day we looked, and we had a bulge in the ceiling then the next day when we came in we had a ceiling on the floor."
Right now, two rooms inside the shelter are unusable because of damage from the leak.
"Those two rooms are where we keep the kittens, essentially," Smith said.
Smith says it’s only a matter of time before other parts of the ceiling give way, which would completely shut down the shelter.
"So, you would have more stray cats, you would have more cats being hit by cars and there would be more euthanasia," Smith said.
It's going to cost $10,000 to repair the entire roof and for a nonprofit that relies completely on fundraising and donations, it's a lot of money for the shelter to come up with.
"We do not get any local, state or federal funding at all," Smith said.
Smith says the shelter could really use the public's help to get the facility back where it needs to be.
This year Canyon County Pet Haven is a part of Idaho Gives on Thursday, May 2.