POLSON - Mission Valley Animal Shelter manager Brenda Jones knows how quickly things can turn for the better. During one very normal day at work, she received a call from a man who said he would give the struggling animal shelter lots of money.

"I picked up the phone and was very skeptical," Jones said. "You would not believe some of the calls I get here... But, it just goes to show, you never know what's on the other end."

In this case, it was a $12,000 grant from the organization National Relief Charities, which funds nonprofits on reservations. Since that fortuitous day, the shelter has undergone a major re-facing, including a 900-square-foot addition that should be completed by the end of this month.

MVAS's original 1,200-square-ft cinder block building was constructed in 1994 on a landfill area next to the Lake County Transfer Station on Reservoir Rd. When the south side of the building started sinking six to eight inches into the ground, vice-president Sharon Hawke knew something needed to be done. An exploratory appraisal put the cost to fix the building at more than $10,000.

"It was creating cracks and compromises in the rest of the building," she said. "We knew we had to fix it, but we didn't have the money. So, we started saving, calling it our ‘sinking fund.'"

Then, things turned around. They received two donations of $10,000 and $43,000 from MVAS members who passed away and were not only able to pay for the corrections to the old building, but also to finance a much-needed expansion project.

On May 25, 2010, they broke ground on the new construction. The new space includes a "get acquainted room" for potential pet adopters; a multi-purpose room (conferences, staff break room, humane education, birthday parties); a manager's office and a bathroom.

"Isn't this amazing?" Jones said. "This building is something I never dreamed I would see in my lifetime."

The total project cost is estimated to run between $65,000 and $70,000, but as with all of its projects, MVAS is incurring no debt.

However, the shelter's operational budget itself has experienced significant net losses for the past two years and for the first six months of 2010. Due to the poor economy, donations to the animal shelter were down 40 percent during 2009, Hawke said. And for the first six months of 2010, donations are down 34 percent from the same period in 2009.

"The past two years have been tough for all nonprofits," she said. "Donations and revenues have decreased significantly while operating costs continue to rise. We must rely heavily on [the Doggy Dash] fundraiser to help the animal shelter fund its operations."

The shelter also operates a thrift store, Seconds 2 Go, in Polson, which is desperately in need of volunteers. All net proceeds from the thrift store go directly to help fund operating costs at the animal shelter.

"We've been successful because we run it as a business," Hawke said. "Yeah, this is an animal shelter and our mission is to save animals, but if we don't run it as a business, in a conservative manner, then we won't even have an animal shelter anymore."

With a euthanasia rate of 1/2 of one percent for 2009 and the first six months of 2010, MVAS is well below the national average of over 50 percent.

"We are committed to only making a decision to euthanize an animal when there are serious health or behavior reasons and not for lack of space," Hawke said. "We want to become as close to a ‘no kill' shelter as we reasonably can."

One of only four privately-funded animal shelters for dogs and cats in Montana, MVAS operates on an annual budget of $186,000 (not including the expansion), all of which must be raised through donations, fundraising events and operations primarily in the Mission Valley, since it receives no governmental funding of any kind.

"We've had people say, ‘In this economy, how can you afford to build?'" Jones said. "But this was a unique situation. We were lucky, and we've been able to help people out."

This weekend is your chance to help out the shelter by participating in the Doggy Dash and raising money from sponsors for every mile walked. There will also be contests like owner/pet look-a-like, worst behaved dog, best trick, best kisser and best singer/howler, which are sure to entertain.

"Get you and your dogs ready to participate," Hawke said. "It is always a blast."

Even if you don't have a dog, Hawke said you can walk by yourself or ask to walk a shelter dog. Prizes will be awarded to the top adult and top junior walkers based upon the amount of money raised.

For results see the Sept. 16 edition of the Leader