Arrowhead Animal Rescue purchases trailer for new animal shelter, work begins this summer

Since the removal of the previous animal shelter in the Grand Marais Recreation Park in 2021, the Arrowhead Animal Rescue volunteers have worked diligently to find and secure a suitable replacement. 

On Monday, April 15, the non-profit announced their hard work had paid off. 

“It’s been a long project, and we are extremely excited to officially announce that we have made significant progress in obtaining a new shelter,” Jessica Burks, a volunteer with Arrowhead Animal Rescue, said.

Arrowhead Animal Rescue will purchase one of the Great Expectations School (GES) classroom trailers. Burks said the non-profit has made a downpayment and anticipates closing on the purchase at the beginning of July. Great Expectations School will transition away from the classroom trailers at the end of the school year in preparation for moving into a new permanent building. 

Discussions between GES, Arrowhead Animal Rescue, the City of Grand Marais, and the Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) to find a suitable animal shelter location and building have been ongoing for the past few years. 

The EDA recently transferred a Cedar Grove Business Park lot to the city of Grand Marais for use as a shelter. The new location will be lot 7, block 5. The city will own it, and Arrowhead Animal Rescue will manage and operate it. 

Burks said the next steps are site prep, closing on the trailer, moving it to the site, and transforming it from a classroom into a suitable shelter space. 

“We have quite a bit of renovations to do,” Burks said. 

While an anticipated date for the work has yet to be determined, Burks Arrowhead Animal Rescue hopes the site prep of the designated business park lot will be completed by the end of June. Then, the trailer will be moved to the site, and renovation work will begin. 

Arrowhead Animal Rescue said the work includes removing the trailer’s carpet flooring and installing an easy-to-sanitize surface; painting the walls and ceilings; adding additional storage; purchasing and installing dog kennels; adding ADA-compliant ramps to allow wheelchair access to the shelter; installing additional windows; and changing the plumbing to accommodate the shelter’s operational needs. The trailer will also need a new roof at some point. 

Arrowhead Animal Rescue said it intends to create a dog play yard and outdoor cat enclosures to provide safe outdoor enrichment and exercise for the shelter’s animals.

To complete the necessary work, Burks said the non-profit will continue fundraising efforts. “So we’re going to have some more fundraising opportunities this spring and summer.”

Since the removal of the animal shelter in 2021, volunteers and board members have fostered surrendered, abandoned, or neglected animals in their homes. “We’ve been so lucky with the support of board members and volunteers that have been giving spaces in their homes, their hearts, their lives to animals to foster,’ Burks said. 

While fostering opportunities for cats and dogs will continue after the new shelter is completed, Burks said she looks forward to providing a permanent, safe facility for animals and the community. 

WTIP spoke with Jessica Burks, a volunteer with Arrowhead Animal Rescue, about the new shelter and the ongoing non-profit efforts in Cook County.  

Kalli Hawkins April 17, 2024