COEUR d'ALENE - When you think of what's important to the dogs and cats at the Kootenai Humane Society, a few things come to mind. There's food, of course, kennels and cages to live in, and staff and volunteers to care for them.

A washing machine, for most, wouldn't be on that short list.

Perhaps it should.

"Our washer and dryer are vital tools to keeping the animals healthy and clean," said Pete Chichester, KHS marketing director.

So when the washer broke down a month ago, it created some big problems, because the shelter cleans hundreds of pounds of laundry and pet bedding each day.

Without a washer on site, staff must make a daily 10-mile roundtrip to a laundromat, spending around $25 - money and time that otherwise could go toward caring and feeding the more than 100 cats and dogs at the no-kill shelter.

It's not a matter of a simple service call.

The shelter's washing machine is a commercial grade Dexter, and the nearest service person for that make is out of Seattle. It has been repaired several times and the cost is climbing.

"We pay $400 a service call just to have someone diagnose its problems," Chichester said.

"The money we've spent fixing the one we have, we could have bought three of them by now."

KHS can't afford to replace it, either.

It's hoping to raise $4,000 to purchase a commercial grade unit - a Maytag Commercial Triple Load would be optimal - that can withstand the daily wear and tear that comes with washing the bedding of homeless canines and felines.

KHS did raise around $50,000 at Tails at Twilight held earlier this month at Black Rock, which will help meet basic operation expenses.

"We adopt out thousands of animals every year and provide several pet-related programs to serve our community," Chichester said. "It is very expensive to operate this shelter and to provide a healthy environment for all the animals."

KHS is launching a campaign to raise money for a washer. Donations can be made at the shelter at the north end of Ramsey Road.

"Every dime goes to saving lives and improving their quality of life," Chichester said. "Without help from the public, we just simply couldn't afford to do what we do."