Stray animals often are seen as a nuisance, but one DeKalb organization intends to find a place for all of these animals.

Taking Animals Into Loving Shelters, or TAILS, is a humane society whose goal is to build a new animal shelter in DeKalb.

This has been the goal since TAILS first began three years ago, and plans are starting to fall into place.

An unannounced group has made a large donation of land to be used for the shelter, and the location will be made public within the next few months, TAILS president Kathy Stelford said.

So far, the organization has raised $80,000 andis hoping to raise a minimum of $300,000 to launch a building campaign.

Some funding comes from donations in which people interested in helping the organization can pay for one square foot of construction for $75.

“There will be a full capital campaign to raise funds before we start building,” Stelford said.

If plans move forward as scheduled, TAILS would break ground by spring and be staffed by fall 2003.

“It’s not as easy as I thought in the beginning,” Stelford said. “There is a lot of group work.”

Once the shelter is open, it will remain open through donations, grants and adoption fees.

TAILS first started three years ago when Stelford wanted to start an organization to promote active welfare for animals.

“I was hoping that someone would start an organization like that,” Stelford said. “Then I realized that if you want it to be, you have to do it yourself.”

Getting other people interested in the cause wasn’t hard.

“There was interest from day one,” Stelford said. “The problem is with the red tape. It has to do with all the paperwork, like dotting all the i’s and crossing all the t’s to move forward.”

The organization wants to build something lasting.

“I’m not going to be alive forever,” Stelford said. “We need to build something that will continue.”

Even without a new building to offer services from, TAILS operates several services to pet owners, such as its spay and neuter program. The program is aimed at assisting those with a fixed income or a low income (less than $30,000) in owning a cat or a dog.

Usually, spaying or neutering a cat can cost up to $75, or slightly less for male cats; spaying or neutering a dog can cost up to $180, depending on its size and sex. For those eligible to use the program, the cost could be as low as $20.

DeKalb County veterinarians already give a discount to pet owners with a TAILS voucher. TAILS vouchers can be obtained by calling Nancy Rigler at 756-3779.

Seventy pet owners have been assisted through the program.

Currently, TAILS is sponsoring an annual bike-a-thon to offset some of the expenses of its programs. This year’s bike-a-thon will start at 9 a.m. Saturday at NIU’s engineering building.

The event is co-sponsored by the NIU Vegetarian Education Group.

“Last year we raised $5,000,” said Bill McCarthy, VEG president. “This year we are shooting for $8,000.”

The event is open to all, and registration will be open until the day of the event. Registration forms can be found at the VEG Web site at www.sa.niu.edu/veg/home.htm.

TAILS will host another fundraising event consisting of a dance and silent auction. This event will be held Oct. 12 in NIU’s Duke Ellington Ballroom at the Holmes Student Center.

“If anyone has a million dollars and doesn’t know what to do with it, we could use it,” Stelford said.