06/24/2026
We are so excited for our future --- for our community, for cats and dogs, for pet owners, for people who care about animals, for Missoula! AniMeals is now publicly launching a $2.5 million dollar capital campaign for a new headquarters, a new shelter that will be more visible, more accessible and even better for felines and friends. We have secured a location, now the real work begins building it out, renovating and making it safe and comfortable for cats and kittens, expanding the food bank for cats and dogs and the many services we offer. We are excited and hopeful. It takes a community of care, commitment and compassion to make this happen so please join us in any ways you can.
The following news release provides more details and please feel free to reach out with any questions, ideas or donations. While we fundraise and build, we will remain in our current location for adoptions and food bank services, for volunteers and fosters. \
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Photos and Interviews Available
Contact: [email protected]
Cell: 406.880.0683
ANIMEALS NO KILL ADOPTION CENTER & FOOD BANK PREPARES
FOR A NEW HOME& A $2.5 MILLION DOLLAR CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
Missoula, Montana, June 25 ---It’s official! Building for Our Friends Capital Campaign is LIVE and there’s no place like home, a new home that is!
AniMeals No-Kill Adoption Center & Animal Food Bank is publicly kicking off a $2.5 million dollar capital campaign for a new Missoula shelter. “We’ve got the building picked out, now we need to bring it to life to safely house cats and kittens in comfortable “rooms,” expand our all-animal food bank, as well as veterinary services, ICU, Quarantine, Education/Meeting room, Memorial Garden, and welcome people and pets,” according to Janet Rose, Executive Director of AniMeals. This new shelter, Rose says will be more accessible, visible and user-friendly for both felines and people.
After 23 years in a leased, former wine warehouse turned animal shelter, AniMeals, one of the only brick & mortar cat shelters in the region is working on moving to a new, permanent home in a central location within Missoula. “It’s been a long time coming and it’s needed now more than ever,” says Josie Rodgers, Shelter Manager. “While we only house cats,” Josie adds, “we also provide services for all dogs and cats and pet owners through our food bank and microchip service.”
In addition, cats with a chronic ailment who are adopted, can have their medical needs at the time of adoption, met for the rest of their lives through AniMeals’ Gaia’s Landing program.
AniMeals says it has outgrown the rented warehouse and needs to offer more of everything that a no-kill shelter can provide.
Karyn Moltzen, AniMeals founder and board president says the new location will be much easier to find, adding, “We needed more space and we needed to help more pet owners and more felines. A new, modern, larger capacity shelter will accomplish this.”
The BFF or Building for Our Friends capital campaign aims to raise $2.5 million to complete the renovations, build a surgical suite, ICU area, education, visitor, community and administrative rooms and expand the animal food bank that serves anyone in need of food for their pet.
AniMeals is unique especially as a No-Kill Adoption Center. This means that every animal that comes through its doors will be taken care of in perpetuity except in the rarest of cases. “We want animals to have a good life, even with chronic conditions. This means if you adopt a cat with a disease like diabetes or something treatable, we will give you the medicine and the food to care for that animal for the rest of its life,” according to Moltzen.
Rose adds, “our goal is to be responsive to our community’s needs for helping animals and to the animals themselves. Missoula has very large stray cat and feral colony populations but if we can help reduce this, we will create a healthier environment for all, both pets and people. Spay/neuter services and vaccinations are key to this as well as providing a safe and comfortable landing for any feline in need. A new shelter is key to the solution.”
Statistically speaking, the future for animals in the United States improved significantly in the past few years. Americans helped to save nearly 4 million dogs and cats from being killed in shelters last year, in great part because shelters across the country are implementing and growing programs and practices that save more lives — and so far, it’s working
While there are approximately 14,000 animal welfare organizations in the U.S., there is no exact count specifically for "cat-only" shelters, as most are categorized as animal rescues, private shelters, or municipal shelters holding both dogs and cats. There are roughly 4,000 brick-and-mortar animal shelters, and about 14,000 total animal sheltering organizations (including rescues). Roughly 3.2 million cats are adopted from shelters yearly, with over 2 million cats adopted in 2024.
While many traditional shelters serve both dogs and cats, the number of feline-focused rescues, sanctuaries, and cat-only adoption centers is growing to address the estimated 70 million stray cats.
With AniMeals campaign going public with its fundraising campaign, the organization is appealing for support of the building effort. They have many naming and honorary opportunities for gifts ranging from $100 to $1 million if you wanted to name the new building. AniMeals overarching goal is $2.5 million over the next five years.
If you are interested in naming opportunities, or getting involved, please visithttps://www.animeals.com/_files/ugd/a3b55c_99cba1f5321846eb85543b0971bbf875.pdf or contact the executive director at 406.880.0683 or by email: [email protected]
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