New facility

If you are a regular visitor to our web site, then you know Golden Years is going through
some major operation changes at this time. For you first time visitors, here is a little bit
of background. Golden Years AMR had been operating as an outdoor facility since
October of 2000. In August of 2002 a neighbor filed a noise complaint. This snowballed
into a legal battle and zoning issues arose. This dragged out over several months (we
would win, only to find some other condition needed to be met.) We are happy to report
that on April 21st we were before the full township board (after negotiations at our
zoning hearing April 2nd) and they voted unanimously to approve our special land use
permit. The clearing process began in May 2003 and we've been hard at work ever since.

The building will be 18' wide X 60' long, then there will be a storage area in the front
that will be 12' X 14'. There will be 10 kennel runs inside the building and there will be 3
mini play areas at the back of the building that the dogs will have access to during pen
cleaning time. Guillotine style doors will give access to these areas, and depending on
how well the doggie neighbors get along, there could be 2 dogs in each play area at a
time. The play areas and perimiter fence will be wood stockade fencing to keep wildlife
from getting into the dog areas and to cut down on potential fence fighting during play
times. On the left will be a large chainlink fenced area, for a dog and their potential
adoptive family to play and get to know each other in a fun and relaxed environment.
We will have platforms and play items in there as well.

The sanitation system John has designed will be similar to a giant doggie dooley.
Large PVC pipe will run along the front of each kennel and be angled to drain out to a
main pipe leading away from the building into a giant digester. John works for a
chemical company and has devised a very efficient digestive system for us.

We have broken down the building and play areas into sections that people can "sponsor" for a
specific dollar amount. A large sign is going to be designed and hung in kennel area, which will
have a list of sponsors and the name of their dog or person (if the donation is made in memory of a
Mal or a person). There will also be a section for people who make general donations specifically
for the building. This is going to be a huge undertaking for us and we want to make sure to
acknowledge everyone who helps us build this new facility. Since we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit
corporation, your donations are tax deductable to the extent allowed by law.

For those wishing to make a general donation to the fund, these are some of the many items
that still need to be purchased: PVC pipe and 200 gallon drum for waste system, electrical
fixtures, paint to seal floors and block walls, pea gravel for front parking area, landscaping
material for the front of the building, etc.

80% of the building cost will be for materials. Since we ended up renting some of the larger
equipment, it took a bigger bite out of our budget than we had anticipated. If you would like to
make a donation to our building fund, or sponsor a specific portion of the building please
indicate what the donation is for, and if it is in honor/memory of someone or a special
Malamute. Make the check/money order payable to:

Receipts for donations made in 2004 will be mailed out in early January 2005 for tax reporting
purposes. If you are making your donation "In Memory" please include the name of the dog or person
so we can make sure it gets included on the sign.