It was about four years ago when supporters of the Hamilton County Humane Society packed the Fishers City Council meeting. They were asking the council member to approve a rezoning allowing the society to move from its quarters in Noblesville to a remodeled facility near 106th Street and Hague Road. There were a few people at the meeting opposing the project or asking that it be adjusted for sound barriers. But council members easily provided the authority for the Humane Society to have the needed rezoning, clearing the way for the move.
According to my news gathering partner, the Hamilton County Reporter, the Humane Society for Hamilton County (HSHC) will complete the last step of its relocation to its state-of-the-art facility located in Fishers on Wednesday, March 31, with a police escorted parade of shelter pets.
Dozens of volunteers and staff members will transport all of the shelter’s current canine and feline residents leaving the Noblesville location at 1721 Pleasant St. at noon. Due to the construction on State Road 37, the caravan will now head west on Pleasant Street to 10th Street, then south on Allisonville Road, on to the pets’ forever home located at 10501 Hague Road, Fishers.
Over 40 vehicles are expected to participate in the transport led by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department, including the shelter’s official moving partner Two Men and a Truck, who will bring along the last load of items as the Humane Society ends its 36-year residency in Noblesville.
“We will certainly miss our Noblesville neighbors,” said Rebecca Stevens, president and CEO of the Humane Society. “But I can tell you our team is looking forward to the desperately needed space and resources that will now be available in this remarkable facility that is undoubtedly one of the best in the country.”
The Humane Society for Hamilton County launched its Building a Brighter Future for Hamilton County & Hoosier Animals Capital Campaign in November 2018, raising the $12 million needed to build the 40,000 square-foot facility in Fishers within one year – thanks to lead gifts from the Steven J. Cage Foundation, Samerian Foundation, the Hamilton County Commissioners and County Council, and Dr. Mark and Vanessa Roth. The facility, which was designed by Curran Architecture with the construction managed by Meyer Najem, will bear the name of both the Humane Society for Hamilton County and The Steven J. Cage Animal Wellness Center.
The Humane Society will close for adoptions as it settles into its new surroundings through Wednesday, April 7, and will open to the public for adoptions on Thursday, April 8. However, the facility will continue accepting Hamilton County’s stray and unwanted animals throughout the entire transition.