document.write("<p><a href=\"javascr"+"ipt:ViewHistory2edb536('1','History%2edb');\"></a><br><font color=\"#000000\" face=\"arial\" size=\"-1\">Panhandle Animal Shelter became a reality through community support and");
      
      document.write("                  private donations. It continues to operate solely from the money it");
      
      document.write("                  receives from donations, adoption fees, membership dues, the Friends of");
      
      document.write("                  the Shelter Thrift Shoppe sales and grants. The shelter is operated by");
      
      document.write("                  Friends of the Shelter (FOTS), a non-profit, volunteer organization");
      
      document.write("                  that was incorporated in 1988. As a non-profit organization, FOTS is");
      
      document.write("                  not affiliated with the city or county and receives no tax support.");
      
      document.write("                  Although the shelter does have a contract with the city of Sandpoint to");
      
      document.write("                  impound dogs caught running at large, it is not supported by taxpayer");
      
      document.write("                  money. The shelter serves as a temporary home for the unwanted, lost");
      
      document.write("                  and abandoned animals of Bonner County. The primary goal of the shelter");
      
      document.write("                  is to find homes for the animals in their care and return lost animals");
      
      document.write("                  to their owners.&nbsp; <br>");
      
      document.write("                  <img src=\"gifs/spacer.gif\" align=\"top\" border=\"0\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"><br>");
      
      document.write("                  <b>The Way We Were</b><br>");
      
      document.write("                  In 1987, four years before the shelter was built, the good old days");
      
      document.write("                  weren't so good. Sandpoint had a big problem with loose dogs roaming");
      
      document.write("                  around town. Parents worried about stray dogs hurting their children");
      
      document.write("                  and the elderly were afraid to walk around their own neighborhoods.");
      
      document.write("                  Stray dogs were digging up gardens, knocking over garbage cans,");
      
      document.write("                  attacking livestock, spreading disease and increasing the population of");
      
      document.write("                  unwanted animals in the area. The city and county had animal control");
      
      document.write("                  ordinances but there were no animal control officers and no place to");
      
      document.write("                  take animals once they were caught because the Sandpoint City Pound had");
      
      document.write("                  been closed two years earlier. <br>");
      
      document.write("                  <img src=\"gifs/spacer.gif\" align=\"top\" border=\"0\" height=\"5\" width=\"1\"><br>");
      
      document.write("                  Mayor Ron Chaney was quoted as saying that he received an average of");
      
      document.write("                  five calls a week concerning dogs roaming Sandpoint neighborhoods. In");
      
      document.write("                  extreme situations, dogs were impounded at local veterinarians, but the");
      
      document.write("                  veterinary clinics could only do so much. People dumped unwanted");
      
      document.write("                  kittens and dogs on back roads or dumpsters or tied them up somewhere");
      
      document.write("                  and left them to die. <br>");
      
      document.write("                  <img src=\"gifs/spacer.gif\" align=\"top\" border=\"0\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"><br>");
      
      document.write("                  <b>Funds for FOTS</b><br>");
      
      document.write("                  The animal situation in Sandpoint had reached a crisis level. In");
      
      document.write("                  response to the problem, a small group of animal lovers got together");
      
      document.write("                  and formed Friends of the Shelter. Their mission was to build an animal");
      
      document.write("                  shelter that would provide temporary housing and adoption services for");
      
      document.write("                  the county's stray, abandoned, and unwanted animals. It was a lofty");
      
      document.write("                  goal that would take four years to realize. <br>");
      
      document.write("                  <img src=\"gifs/spacer.gif\" align=\"top\" border=\"0\" height=\"5\" width=\"1\"><br>");
      
      document.write("                  First the group learned as much as they could about shelters and the");
      
      document.write("                  needs of the people of Sandpoint. FOTS received operations advice,");
      
      document.write("                  shelter floor plans and building specifications from the Humane Society");
      
      document.write("                  of the United States. They toured six animal shelters in three states");
      
      document.write("                  and researched city, county, and state animal ordinances. Two board");
      
      document.write("                  members also attended a 90-hour Animal Control Academy sponsored by");
      
      document.write("                  HSUS and attended seminar training on grant research at Spokane");
      
      document.write("                  Library. To gain a better understanding of the public's problems and");
      
      document.write("                  future needs, they conducted a survey of 1,000 residents. Nearly 100");
      
      document.write("                  percent of those surveyed felt strongly about the need for a");
      
      document.write("                  well-maintained animal shelter and that the facility should not be");
      
      document.write("                  dependent on tax dollars. <br>");
      
      document.write("                  <img src=\"gifs/spacer.gif\" align=\"top\" border=\"0\" height=\"5\" width=\"1\"><br>");
      
      document.write("                  After gathering information, FOTS board members started talking to");
      
      document.write("                  officials. The group gained support from city and county officials,");
      
      document.write("                  including the mayor, chief of police, county commissioners and the");
      
      document.write("                  sheriff. They also met with local veterinarians for technical advice");
      
      document.write("                  and assembled an advisory board of professionals. <br>");
      
      document.write("                  <img src=\"gifs/spacer.gif\" align=\"top\" border=\"0\" height=\"5\" width=\"1\"><br>");
      
      document.write("                  As the pieces started falling into place, the group selected a floor");
      
      document.write("                  plan and began contacting building contractors for bids and started");
      
      document.write("                  asking for donations of labor and materials. Board members also");
      
      document.write("                  completed the paperwork for incorporation and bylaws and received state");
      
      document.write("                  and Federal non-profit tax exempt status. <br>");
      
      document.write("                  <img src=\"gifs/spacer.gif\" align=\"top\" border=\"0\" height=\"5\" width=\"1\"><br>");
      
      document.write("                  Now the group was faced with the enormous task of raising the $110,000");
      
      document.write("                  they needed to build the shelter. Fund raising efforts began in");
      
      document.write("                  earnest. FOTS held silent auction dinners, rummage sales, sold coupon");
      
      document.write("                  books and buttons, raffled art prints, and wrote for grants. Local");
      
      document.write("                  artists also got into the act. FOTS sold pet tiles designed by Susan");
      
      document.write("                  Conway and \"I am a Friend of the Shelter\" sweatshirts designed by");
      
      document.write("                  Steven Lyman. <br>");
      
      document.write("                  <img src=\"gifs/spacer.gif\" align=\"top\" border=\"0\" height=\"5\" width=\"1\"><br>");
      
      document.write("                  Finding the land to build the shelter was another hurdle. After");
      
      document.write("                  legislative approval of a bill that allowed organizations including");
      
      document.write("                  animal shelters to rent county land, FOTS signed a 99-year lease with");
      
      document.write("                  the Bonner County Commission for land to build the shelter. The group");
      
      document.write("                  rented two acres of land on Great Northern Road. The shelter was");
      
      document.write("                  becoming a reality and in anticipation of FOTS meeting the goal of");
      
      document.write("                  constructing the shelter, the mayor advised the city council to");
      
      document.write("                  appropriate funds for an animal control officer. <br>");
      
      document.write("                  <img src=\"gifs/spacer.gif\" align=\"top\" border=\"0\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"><br>");
      
      document.write("                  <b>It's Done!</b><br>");
      
      document.write("                  Although plagued with construction delays, at long last all the hard");
      
      document.write("                  work and fund raising paid off. The first volunteers had their initial");
      
      document.write("                  training session February 19 and went for visit to the Kootenai Humane");
      
      document.write("                  Society on February 22 to view shelter operations. The following");
      
      document.write("                  Saturday February 23, 1991, the shelter held an open house and then on");
      
      document.write("                  Tuesday, February 26, the shelter opened for business. The first");
      
      document.write("                  Panhandle Animal Shelter resident was Bruin, a neutered Labrador");
      
      document.write("                  Retriever mix who was brought into the shelter because his owner was");
      
      document.write("                  moving. He was adopted in the first week of operation. <br>");
      
      document.write("                  <img src=\"gifs/spacer.gif\" align=\"top\" border=\"0\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"><br>");
      
      document.write("                  <b>Years Later</b><br>");
      
      document.write("                  Now many years after it was built, the shelter is now a fact of life.");
      
      document.write("                  Most people know that if they lose their pet or find an abandoned");
      
      document.write("                  animal, they should call the shelter and report it (208-265-7297).");
      
      document.write("                  People know that they can bring in strays or unwanted pets or adopt new");
      
      document.write("                  pets from the shelter. Every year, more than 2,000 animals pass through");
      
      document.write("                  the doors of the shelter. Although not all of them are lucky enough to");
      
      document.write("                  be adopted, in the last eight years approximately 3,500 dogs and 2,300");
      
      document.write("                  cats have been adopted into new homes. In fact, visitors to the shelter");
      
      document.write("                  often comment on the shelter's \"wall of fame\" -- a large bulletin board");
      
      document.write("                  that is filled with pictures people have sent of their alumni pets");
      
      document.write("                  enjoying their new homes. <br>");
      
      document.write("                  <img src=\"gifs/spacer.gif\" align=\"top\" border=\"0\" height=\"5\" width=\"1\"><br>");
      
      document.write("                  The work of FOTS volunteers and members did not end with the");
      
      document.write("                  construction of the shelter. Volunteer efforts and donations from the");
      
      document.write("                  community continue to play a large role in the shelter's operation.");
      
      document.write("                  Over the years, volunteers went on to establish the Thrift Shoppe,");
      
      document.write("                  construct many improvements to the Shelter, add programs and expand");
      
      document.write("                  services. The shelter could not exist without its&nbsp;volunteers.");
      
      document.write("                  Volunteers provide all of the administrative functions of the FOTS");
      
      document.write("                  Board of Directors and its committees, half of the manpower required to");
      
      document.write("                  operate the Shelter seven days a week, and nearly all the manpower");
      
      document.write("                  required to operate the Thrift Shoppe six days a week. <br>");
      
      document.write("                  <img src=\"gifs/spacer.gif\" align=\"top\" border=\"0\" height=\"5\" width=\"1\"><br>");
      
      document.write("                  1998 was a particularly eventful one in the shelter's history. A");
      
      document.write("                  350-square foot addition to the shelter was built with money donated by");
      
      document.write("                  Frances Sleep who left a bequest in her will for the money to be used");
      
      document.write("                  for capital improvements. The new addition houses a large multipurpose");
      
      document.write("                  room, a new kitten room, and a separate area for male cats. The FOTS");
      
      document.write("                  Board of Directors along with Dr. Don McCormick (trustee of the");
      
      document.write("                  bequest) approved the plan for the addition with an emphasis on Frances");
      
      document.write("                  Sleep's special interest cats. As was the case with the original");
      
      document.write("                  construction, many local businesses donated time and/or materials to");
      
      document.write("                  the building of the addition. <br>");
      
      document.write("                  <img src=\"gifs/spacer.gif\" align=\"top\" border=\"0\" height=\"5\" width=\"1\"><br>");
      
      document.write("                  In November of 1998, the FOTS Board of Directors committed to a new");
      
      document.write("                  location for the Thrift Shoppe. The new location at 506 Oak Street is");
      
      document.write("                  much larger than the old store and is doing extremely well. The larger");
      
      document.write("                  space has made it possible to improve the store layout and means that");
      
      document.write("                  the store now can accept donations of large furniture and appliances. <br>");
      
      document.write("                  <img src=\"gifs/spacer.gif\" align=\"top\" border=\"0\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"><br>");
      
      document.write("                  <b>The Future</b><br>");
      
      document.write("                  In 2002&nbsp;the shelter joined the growing no-kill mode of operation.");
      
      document.write("                  Our emphasis");
      
      document.write("                  is on spay-neuter of pets, and maximizing adoption opportunities for");
      
      document.write("                  each");
      
      document.write("                  animal. 100% of the shelter's resources and donations are applied to");
      
      document.write("                  helping as");
      
      document.write("                  many homeless animals as we are able. We adopt into new homes, or");
      
      document.write("                  return to");
      
      document.write("                  owner about 1,250 animals each year. FOTS volunteers and staff like to");
      
      document.write("                  believe people must get their animals spayed or neutered, so unwanted");
      
      document.write("                  animals won't be born in the first place. <br>");
      
      document.write("                  <img src=\"gifs/spacer.gif\" align=\"top\" border=\"0\" height=\"10\" width=\"1\"><br>");
      
      document.write("                  </font></p>");
      
      document.write("<scr"+"ipt language=javascr"+"ipt>");
      
      document.write("var win=null;");
      
      document.write("function ViewHistory2edb536(id,db){");
      
      document.write("var rndURL = (1000*Math.random());");
      
      document.write("var myname=\"\";");
      
      document.write("var w = \"640\";");
      
      document.write("var h = \"480\";");
      
      document.write("var pos = \"center\";");
      
      document.write("if(\"center\" == \"absolute\"){");
      
      document.write("var TopPosition = 0;");
      
      document.write("var LeftPosition = 0;");
      
      document.write("}");
      
      document.write("");
      
      document.write("var mypage = \"http://pasidaho.org/cgi-scr"+"ipt/csNews/csNews.cgi?database=\"+db+\"&command=viewone&op=r&id=\"+id+\"&rnd=\"+rndURL;");
      
      document.write("if(pos==\"random\"){LeftPosition=(screen.width)?Math.floor(Math.random()*(screen.width-w)):100;TopPosition=(screen.height)?Math.floor(Math.random()*((screen.height-h)-75)):100;}");
      
      document.write("if(pos==\"center\"){LeftPosition=(screen.width)?(screen.width-w)/2:100;TopPosition=(screen.height)?(screen.height-h)/2:100;}");
      
      document.write("else if((pos!=\"center\" && pos!=\"random\" && pos!= \"absolute\") || pos==null){LeftPosition=0;TopPosition=20}");
      
      document.write("settings='width='+w+',height='+h+',top='+TopPosition+',left='+LeftPosition+',scrollbars=yes,location=no,directories=no,status=no,menubar=yes,toolbar=no,resizable=yes';");
      
      document.write("win=window.open(mypage,myname,settings);");
      
      document.write("if(win.focus){win.focus();}}");
      
      document.write("</scr"+"ipt>");