Newport Beach Animal Shelter Seeks Donations For Summer Opening

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — After raising $3 million in private donations over the years, the Friends of the Newport Beach Animal Shelter is on its last stretch of fundraising before it can open its doors come summertime.

"Thanks to the generosity of hundreds of private donors, we purchased property zoned for dog kennels, built a state-of-the-art shelter and donated it to the city as a permanent home for Animal Control and the pets they serve," Organizer Sharon Esterley said.

With the construction of the shelter being completed, the Friends of the Newport Beach Animal Shelter are asking for donations to help complete the finishing touches on the shelter's facility.

To gather donations, the FONBAS started a GoFundMe page with a goal of $25,000. So far, $2,700 of that $25,000 goal has been raised by the community.

The launch of the GoFundMe page comes after FONBAS raised $2.9 to build the first-ever permanent municipal animal shelter in Newport Beach last December.

According to the City of Newport Beach, FONBAS spent roughly five years raising the funds through private community donations to buy property at 20282 Riverside Dr. in order to build a new animal care and shelter facility.

"On behalf of the city council, I'd like to thank FONBAS and all the private donors who contributed to make this new shelter a reality," Newport Beach Mayor Kevin Muldoon said in a previous statement. "This was a tremendous effort and will make a big different for animals under the city's care."

The city has contracted with private companies for decades to provide veterinary care and shelter services for stray and abandoned animals. However, in 2017 the Newport Beach Police Department began managing operations at a temporary shelter at 20282 Riverside Dr.

That same year, FONBAS became the officially recognized nonprofit to assist with shelter activities and raise funds for future capital projects.

Following the launch of a successful fundraising drive, FONBAS purchased the Riverside Drive property in April 2020 for $1 million. After raising an additional $1.9 million for construction, FONBAS broke ground on the new shelter in January 2022.

The facility is nearing completion, and the City plans to begin operations at the new shelter in early 2023.

The 1,500-square-foot shelter includes a 750-square-foot kennel, a front-yard greeting area and a rear-yard animal exercise area.

For more information on shelter operations, residents can visit www.FONBAS.org.

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