Editorial: The Dakin shelter steps in to fill a need

Published on May 22, 2009

From humble beginnings in Amherst more than 25 years ago, the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society has built a base of support and a high level of service that will now be extended to all of the Pioneer Valley.

The small, but popular animal shelter, is in the process of buying the Springfield building owned by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The MSPCA pulled out of western Massachusetts the end of March.

This is a huge undertaking - the new building alone is 15 times the size of Dakin's current animal adoption center in Leverett - but folks at the Dakin say they are up to the challenge.

The Dakin organization's mission is to prevent animal homelessness. In addition to the pet adoption center, the shelter runs extensive spaying and neutering programs, and promotes the care of animals through programs at schools and colleges.

The leap into Hampden County will mean the closing of a shelter Dakin operates in Greenfield, but will allow it to serve many more animals than currently possible.

The MSPCA was originally asking $4.5 million for its Springfield center, but agreed to sell it for $1.2 million, the amount the Dakin had already raised for a new building.

The Dakin has always enjoyed a strong level of community support from its early days in the 1980s when it was started as The Friends of Amherst's Stray Animals by a group spearheaded by Janet Dakin. The first shelter opened in 1995. Community support in terms of donations and volunteers will be needed more than ever. The expansion will nearly double the Dakin's annual budget. The private shelter receives no government funds, relying solely on donations, and some private foundation grants.

The closing of the MSPCA center was seen as a big loss for the well-being of the region's animals. But Dakin is stepping up to the task, and we know that the animals in need in the Pioneer Valley will be in good hands.