Who doesn’t love a cute, cuddly puppy? Cats… well, that’s another story. Just kidding cat people – I once owned a cat named Milk who peed in all my Mom’s plants and used my bed as a litter-box when I left for college. My entire family totally loved her… really, we did.

Yesterday’s news that a grain sack filled with six puppies was found in a metro-area dumpster just reinforces the fact that the there can never be too many shelters. We have our Stray Rescues, our Humane Societys and our APA’s, but the city of St. Louis has been operating their animal rescue services from a building that was intended to be temporary for more than 65 years and is in need of a permanent, more efficient home.

Enter philanthropist Ed Throop, a St. Louis executive known for his work with the Judy Ride Foundation, and his vision to build an LEED-certified animal shelter through the efforts of the Animal House Fund. Along with many volunteers and a city of supports, Throop is well on his way to making that vision a reality. Kate Ewing is one of the driving forces behind the charity as well (which Girls Guide is proud to have become involved with as a sponsor), and she sat down to explain just what this charity is all about and how people can get involved:

Why does the Animal House Fund exist, and when did it get started?

Kate: Animal House Fund was created to make a new building possible. To reduce the number of strays, to give homeless and abandoned animals a better chance to find families, and to help St. Louis become a more pet friendly city. Back in 2004, our founders saw a need for a new facility and put the group together. We’ve been growing a making progress towards our goal each year.

What are some of the most important things you are working on right now?

Kate: Right now a big focus is awareness and fund raising. We are very close to breaking ground, but still need to raise the remaining needed funds. We also want to continue to educate the public on, not only, the importance of this building project, but on the importance of animal welfare in general.. St. Louis is an extremely charitable and close knit city. We have the opportunity as a city to make a tremendous impact on our pets and serve as a model to other cities.

Where will the shelter eventually be built?

Kate: The shelter will be built on the grounds of Francis R Slay Park.

Is there are target date to get the shelter open?

Kate: We don’t have a final construction time-line, but are hoping to break ground Spring/Summer 2010.

Can you explain some of the details of what you mean by a green animal shelter?

Kate: We are working with HOK to ensure there are as many green aspects as possible. We are using as many sustainable materials throughout the structure as we can, installing a green roof and focusing on green merchandise. The new facility will also use environmentally friendly watering and washing systems- this means fewer chemicals on [a] daily basis for a cleaner, healthier building. Of course, the lighting will be as energy efficient as possible and [will] incorporate natural lighting where applicable.

How many organizations and individual volunteers are currently involved?

Kate: We have several sponsors, including Girls Guide to the Galaxy. Our sponsor list can be found on our site, www.animalhousefund.org. Our volunteer opportunities are vast. We have a young professionals group as well as groups that work primarily on specific events or fund raising initiatives, so the exact number tends to vary,

What are you in desperate need of right now?

Kate: We always need donations, but right now we are working on attracting some new, committed volunteers that will participate in events and spread the word about our organization

How can people help Animal House Fund out?

Kate: We are looking to expand our young professionals group. People may sign up to volunteer by emailing or by visiting our web site. If companies are interested in becoming project sponsors, they may contact us through the web site as well. People can also help by making a donation or attending one of our fund raisers. An events calendar can be found on our web site, or on our Facebook page.

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Last weekend Animal House Fund hosted a trivia night in the rotunda at St. Louis City Hall that hundreds of people turned out for, and that Girls Guide completely whooped butt at by pulling into third place during the last few rounds. The evening was fun, and raised quite a pretty penny for the effort through silent auctions and table sales. If you need motivation about why getting involved with this charity, or any local non-profit for that matter, check out the article with a ton of great reasons volunteering that our former Working Girl Abby posted back in October.

Melody is the Managing Editor and resident Gadget Geek for Girls Guide. She is a freelance writer for blogs and such, and her primary focus is Girls Guide. You can email her at melody [at] girlsguidetothegalaxy [dot] com, and you can follow her on Twitter- @cosmosgirl.