Caring Paws Rescue Buys Former Veterinary Building to Create Storm Lake's First Animal Shelter

After nearly two years of fundraising and negotiations, Caring Paws Rescue closed on the former Lake Animal Hospital building at 107 West 16th Street in Storm Lake on March 3, paying $375,000 for the property, its equipment, and its inventory. The purchase converts the longtime veterinary clinic into Storm Lake's first dedicated animal shelter.

"That has been my desire and my dream, to have a building as an animal shelter and have a place where animals can be dropped off if they can no longer be with their families, and be held up for adoption, and not simply thrown out into the cold," said Sue Lyngaas, president of Caring Paws Rescue.

The building and equipment were purchased from Dr. Dianne and Jerry Johnson. Dr. Johnson, who built her practice at that address over the course of her career, has retired, but will continue working with Caring Paws on a part-time basis as the organization's trap-neuter-return veterinarian.

Funding for the purchase came from a combination of grassroots donations, major gifts, and the Samsel Trust, a $400,000 bequest left by the late Tom and Joanne Samsel of Lakeside that was specifically designated to support an animal shelter in Storm Lake. More than 100 donors contributed over the past year and a half. Former Buena Vista University professors Dr. Ken Schweller and his late wife, Jeanne Tinsley, were among those providing significant support.

The acquisition fills a conspicuous gap in Buena Vista County's public services. For Storm Lake residents, the nearest animal shelter had been in Spencer, roughly 40 miles away. "I hate to see strays. Animals deserve to be taken care of," Lyngaas said.

Caring Paws formed about a year before KTIV's earlier coverage of the project, during which the organization was still in negotiations and targeting a $700,000 fundraising goal to cover both the facility purchase and ongoing operating costs. Lyngaas had estimated the building would cost approximately $400,000; the finalized sale came in at $375,000. The broader campaign goal reflected the need to fund shelter operations beyond the purchase itself.

The organization had been building community support through grassroots efforts including a shoe drive with collection bins placed at St. Mark Lutheran Church, Brown's Shoe Fit, Walsh Chiropractic, the Smoking Hereford, and Storm Lake United Methodist Church. That drive alone produced more than 60 bags, totaling 2,000 pounds of donated shoes.

Lyngaas described signing the purchase papers as a milestone the group had worked toward for nearly two years. "We've got an organization moving to make this a real happening in Storm Lake in 2026," she said.