Volunteers install pet area, kennels at new shelter

The new shelter complex has kennels, a grassy pet area, and more, thanks to local businesses and a group of volunteers from the Bozeman office of global engineering and architecture firm HDR.

This will help with the pet-friendly new shelter Haven is opening in 2023. We know that up to 65 percent of survivors with pets delay leaving abusive relationships for fear of what would happen to their pets. Survivors staying at the new shelter will be more than welcome to bring their pets along.

“These statistics are harrowing,” said Heather Nold, a water engineer at HDR in Bozeman. “If we are able to help make Haven’s new shelter a more welcoming space to all people and furry friends, that’s always a win for our community.”

Working in shifts on a late-fall day just before the first snows arrived, HDR volunteers assembled kennels, put in sod, and leveled dirt for the playground before filling it with wood chips. Murdoch’s Ranch & Home Supply donated the three kennels; West Paw donated the two waste stations. 

Big thanks to all of the HDR volunteers – including those from the local women’s engineering and young water professional organizations who participated – to Murdoch’s, to West Paw, and to the HDR Foundation for supporting this project. 

If you would like to volunteer with Haven in 2023, please contact Sarah at 406.586.7689 or at sarah@havenmt.org.