Friends of Newport Beach Animal Shelter launches GoFundMe in final push as facility nears opening

The Newport Beach Animal Shelter is in the last stretch of fundraising and construction, according to the Friends of the Newport Beach Animal Shelter, which is financing the entire project, from the purchase of the land through seeing the facility built.

About $50,000 remains to completely finish out the shelter, which broke ground in January of last year after members of the organization raised $2.9 million to realize their vision.

The shelter will be the first permanent such facility in Newport Beach, as the city previously contracted out its services to providers, including the Orange County Humane Society.

Its animal control work continues to operate out of an existing residential kennel on Riverside Drive, though operations are expected to move to the new shelter just down the street once the facility is complete.

“Our original mission was to support lost and displaced animals in our community,” Jonathan Langford, FONBAS president and a newly appointed planning commissioner, said in a statement announcing the campaign.

“We are very pleased to have exceeded expectations and to be in the last stage of a capital campaign to establish a permanent animal shelter in our city,” Langford said.

FONBAS gifted the 1,500-square-foot shelter to the city in December and is expected to begin operations soon. Council members thanked the FONBAS and contributors for their efforts. The shelter will have a 750-square-foot kennel, a frontyard greeting area and a rear yard for exercise.

As of Friday afternoon, about $1,545 had been raised in the GoFundMe effort, which can be found at gofund.me/e83fe99d. The organization notes that donations of over $5,000 will be included on the permanent donor wall at the shelter.

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