THE BIG BARN
WHY DO DOGS NEED THE BIG BARN?
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Some dogs tend to deteriorate in a “traditional” shelter setting due to lack of stimulation, lack of exercise, and fear due to excess noise and unique smells. They need a retreat-like place where they can feel safe and decompress.
Some dogs need a little extra care before they’re ready to go to their forever home (or even a foster home). These dogs include seniors, pregnant/nursing moms and dogs with behavioral issues.
Some dogs can’t find a foster home right away, but they need to get out of the shelter as quickly as possible. Having a transitional space until they find a foster home is essential.
Some dogs need long-term rehabilitation and will join the ALIVE Rescue family permanently (the “sanctuary” element of The Big Barn).
THE BIG BARN DETAILS
At the end of 2016, two prior adopters decided that they wanted to help us further our mission and generously donated a 4,800 square foot barn in Salem Lakes, Wisconsin to ALIVE Rescue. This donation will allow us to more than double the amount of animals we save.
We received final approval from the village on December 11, 2017 to move forward with the project. There was a slight delay in the project because Salem and Silver Lake townships decided to merge, which put the permitting process on hold. Now that the merger has been completed, the village is eager for ALIVE Rescue to come to their community.
We decided that the project needed a general contractor (GC) to manage construction. Avison Young Chicago offered to help us compile and disseminate a Request for Proposal (RFP) to several GC candidates and we contracted with PSG for pre-construction consulting services as well as GC services (and they've been AMAZING so far!). With their help, we broke ground in October of 2020.
The Big Barn will have two whelping rooms for pregnant and nursing dogs, a retirement room for any dogs needing long-term housing, two specially-designed suites for dogs experiencing behavior issues, 16 regular dog suites, a grooming room, and large indoor play areas to use during inclement weather. Additionally, because ALIVE Rescue will have a full-time staff member on-site, they will be able to provide 24-hour care to dogs with medical needs. The Rescue House will be located steps away from The Big Barn and will offer individual sleeping rooms where dogs can rest with a volunteer/staff member monitoring them throughout the night.