OPHS’s Kitty City taking shape, color

By Michael Dashiell • August 25, 2021 1:30 am
Port Angeles artist Dave Montague works on a mural at the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society’s McKay Kitty City near Sequim. “When I heard about the new Kitty City building, I really wanted to help,” Montague said. “I decided to offer my services to create a mural to capture the cats’ personalities that will live there until adopted. Since I am an avid hiker, I wanted to depict our furry friends in the scenes I have enjoyed through my 3,000 miles of hiking throughout the Olympic Mountains.” Photo courtesy of Olympic Peninsula Humane Society
Port Angeles artist Dave Montague works on a mural at the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society’s McKay Kitty City near Sequim. “When I heard about the new Kitty City building, I really wanted to help,” Montague said. “I decided to offer my services to create a mural to capture the cats’ personalities that will live there until adopted. Since I am an avid hiker, I wanted to depict our furry friends in the scenes I have enjoyed through my 3,000 miles of hiking throughout the Olympic Mountains.” Photo courtesy of Olympic Peninsula Humane Society

Renovations are under way at the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society’s new building just west of Carlsborg last week, as the nonprofit looks to expand services for its felines at the dubbed McKay Kitty City complex at 91 S. Boyce Road.

The 7,000-square-foot building that once housed a school and a church will be home to cats, kittens and small creatures — and feature a 100-foot-long mural depicting cats at play in the Olympic National Forest.

The 3-acre campus was purchased after Clallam County officials determined three modular buildings OPHS was using to house at the main campus on Old Olympic Highway needed to be removed. The modular space also housed veterinary services and administration.

The building in Sequim will house those displaced services when renovations are complete with a target move-in date by the end of September or early October, OPHS representatives said last week, while the existing campus will continue to house dogs and their related services.

“Unfortunately, rapidly escalating material costs and the additional need for new medical equipment made the overall price tag of building a new structure on our existing 9.5-acre property untenable,” OPHS executive director Luanne Hinkle said. “Instead, we were fortunate to locate the property on Boyce Road at less than half the price of building new.”

OPHS has a fundraising campaign to help with renovation costs estimated to be $350,000. In addition to build-outs for cat rooms, the new Kitty City building will include a surgery suite for OPHS to offer low-cost spay/neuter services to the community.

As of Aug. 18, OPHS has an estimated 97 percent of the required renovation funds.

“Because of bequeathed funds, we were able to purchase the Sequim property for cash, keeping OPHS debt-free,” Hinkle said. “With only a little over $10,000 to raise towards our renovations, I know our generous community of animal lovers and will help us get all the way there.”

Upon completion of the McKay Kitty City facility, OPHS will host an open house (date to be announced) for the community, Hinkle said; the event will include tours, raffles and a sale of animal-related goods.

To donate, visit ophumane Society.org/donate.

For about 75 years, OPHS has maintained an active presence on the Peninsula. The no-kill society shelters and cares for domestic animals of all types, and annually more than 1,300 animals pass through the doors of the facility, OPHS representatives said.

For more information, call 360-457-8206 or visit ophumanesociety.org.