Shelter Officially In The Running For Million-Dollar Makeover

If the contest ended now, the Humane Society of the Nature Coast would win at least $5,000.

But the big prize is a million-dollar building makeover, and the Brooksville shelter is now officially in the running.

The Humane Society has made a meteoric rise in the contest sponsored by the Web site zootoo.com. On Thursday, the shelter was sitting in 14th place out of more than 2,600 animal care facilities across the country.

"Can you believe it," shelter director Joanne Schoch said with excitement in her voice. "And we're not done yet."

The goal now is to at least maintain that place, and the shelter does that the same way it got there.

In the first phase of the contest, visitors log on to the site and register, designating the shelter they are supporting. Visitors earn points for their shelter simply by registering, but rack up more points by being more active on the site checking out chat groups, journals, photos, question-and-answer forums and classified ads, among other features.

The first phase ends March 13, and the top 20 points earners become semi-finalists. During phase two, ZooToo and its advisers tour all of the shelters to get a sense of their needs and select 10 finalists. In the third phase, the public votes for the most deserving shelter.

The first runner-up wins $50,000. The second runner up gets $25,000 and the rest of the seven finalists get $10,000. The other 10 semi-finalists receive $5,000 each.

Local businesses have helped by allowing volunteers to set up and promote the effort. The Hernando County school district has sent out information, too.

Schoch said she had faith the small shelter would get a place in the top 20.

"I never ever realized it would happen so quickly," she said. "(People) know how bad our county needs to expand to shelter animals."

ZooToo will get a closer look at the shelter this month when representatives come to film its Heart to Heart fundraiser, which runs Feb. 15-21, with an open house from noon to 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 16, to celebrate Schoch's birthday. The ZooToo crew will be there that day, Schoch said.

Local volunteers spend at least 24 hours in the shelter's dog kennel. No gifts are required for Schoch on the open house day, but a donation to the shelter is requested.

For more information, call the shelter at 796-2711.