COHASSET — Great Tails Animal Rescue unveiled its new facility Tuesday, April 28, in Cohasset.
The ribbon cutting has been years in the making. Great Tails began in 2018, after the abrupt closure of the area’s Humane Society.
The nonprofit has been using a foster model, but those behind the group saw the need for something more after the COVID-19 pandemic. Great Tails went to the city with a proposal for a building. Cohasset donated 6 acres of land in its industrial park.
“There were a lot of tears in that room that day,” said Shannon Anttila, executive director of Great Tails. “So after that gift, we have spent the last four years interviewing other sustainable shelters in the area: Duluth, Brainerd, Bemidji, Hackensack.”
The Great Tails board also spent the next few years fundraising.
“Our goal has always been able to maintain a constant balance between saving as many pets as we can,” Anttila said, “and also staying within a budget, which is very, very hard with animal rescue.”
Veterinarian costs are the largest expense for Great Tails. Over 1,300 pets have been adopted out of the rescue over the last eight years. After a pet is surrendered, the nonprofit sterilizes the animal and gets it up to date on vaccines. Then, the pet is placed with a foster family until a new home is found.
“This is 100% volunteers that have raised this money and got this building up,” said Maureen Rosato, a Great Tails volunteer, at the event. “There’s not one paid person with Great Tails, so that in itself is impressive. And the building is gorgeous.
“ ... They’ve done a really thoughtful job making this a great place for animals in our community.”
While Great Tails will remain primarily foster-based, the building will soon be filled with barks and meows. Its budget will allow Great Tails to hold at least 30 cats and about eight to 10 dogs in the first year, as it transitions to having paid staff. Anttila said this means the organization will be able to help more adult male cats and larger dog breeds, which can be harder to place with foster families.
Great Tails Animal Rescue will host a grand opening May 30.
Volunteer Photographer Lorie Shaull contributed to this story.
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