Humane Society of Otter Tail County nears move into new shelter

The new facility matters because the Humane Society has served all 62 townships and 19 municipalities in Otter Tail County since 1979, taking in stray, abandoned and surrendered animals from across the county. The group said its capital campaign was aimed at helping it care for more animals with greater efficiency, and the new building was designed to do that work in ways the old space could not. Planned features include separate kennel runs, cat climbing walls, a walk-in bathtub, a medical treatment area, pocket-pet space, a community room and indoor play space, and a dog showcase meant to present animals in the best possible light for adoption.

That design is about more than comfort. Better shelter layout can reduce stress for animals, improve medical care and speed up the path to adoption, which is critical for an organization that handles intake pressure from a countywide service area. The shelter is also planning a Rescue Readers program, where school-age children will be able to read to cats and dogs, giving children practice with reading while helping calm the animals at the same time. The result is intended to make the shelter both a care facility and a community space.

The project has also carried a heavy fundraising burden. Earlier planning called for a 3,800-square-foot expansion, and later reporting placed the cost at about $2.1 million, with the organization still short roughly $200,000 in late 2025. Community backing has helped close that gap, including a spring fundraising dinner that drew about 250 to 300 attendees after a three-year COVID-related hiatus, a $10,000 donation from Lake Region Electric Cooperative’s Operation Round Up program and a $25,000 contribution approved by the Fergus Falls City Council.