Workers used a crane to hoist a section of prefabricated building, then slowly lowered it onto the poured concrete foundation at the Sol Dog Lodge and Training Center just south of Tangerine Road in Marana.
While a dozen workers set the structure in place, a small audience of Sol Dog staff, volunteers and donors clapped in approval early Tuesday, Aug. 20.
“That was the goal, to see one land,” said a donor, elated with the milestone achievement for the nonprofit.
“It was exhilarating to see the puzzle pieces of the building come together,” said Cathy Kastner, a Sol Dog client described as a “volunteer extraordinaire.”
“The smiles all around me said it all!” she added.
Placement of building sections, on what was dubbed “Crane Day,” came more than six years after Sol Dog’s inception, according to executive director Valerie Pullara. Crane Day “is a culmination of many years of planning and caring deeply for dogs and their people,” she added.
In 2018, Sol Dog purchased 4.5 acres of land south of Tangerine and east of I-10. To raise more than $4 million for the project, Sol Dog partnered with two community development financial institutions that specialize in funding for nonprofits. Private donors have given significant funds to the project, Pullara said.
Eight buildings, constituting about 8,600 square feet of space, have been manufactured for placement at 11835 N. Tangerine. Through year’s end, contractor ESB Design+Build, a Marana-based, woman-owned business, is tying the building sections together and applying finishing improvements. Sol Dog has incorporated green elements, such as solar energy and water recapture and reuse, into its campus design.
When it opens in early 2025, Sol Dog Lodge and Training Center will house all its training, grooming and boarding activities, along with classes for owners and space for rescued animals, Pullara said.
Sol Dog plans to consolidate its current operations onto one campus. It can now board up to 15 dogs a night at its often-full kennels at Prince and I-10. Another 15 dogs are trained and groomed daily at Sol Dog’s Thornydale and Linda Vista location.
The new campus should have capacity to board up to 75 dogs per night, and provide grooming and training services to more than 100 dogs and families each day, Pullara said.
“Our new Dog Center will allow us to serve even more dogs and their families, offering expanded boarding, grooming and training services to ensure every dog can thrive in a loving and supportive environment,” Pullara said.
“We are not a rescue, we are not a shelter,” said Shelley Harris, Sol Dog’s director of community outreach and marketing. “We are an organization that strives diligently to meet the needs of families. When this new campus is open, we’ll more often be able to support a dog owner who, for example, may forgo a medical procedure because they don’t have a place for their dog.
“We train kids, families and those that may have adopted a dog that is a ‘little more dog’ than they expected,” Harris said. “Yes, we also train the dog. Ultimately, we want the dog to stay in their home, and out of the shelter and contribute to the well-being of the family.”
“Our vision is to foster a community where all dogs are valued and thriving, and compassionate services are accessible for every facet of their care,” Pullara said. “We empower dogs and their families to overcome obstacles that may otherwise jeopardize their bond by providing training, grooming, dog socialization, and boarding services.”
“For dog moms like me, Sol Dog Lodge is sort of like a part of your heart and soul,” said client Kathy Alden. Beyond “practical services,” Sol Dog pursues its vision “to keep dogs in their forever home with the people who love them.”
Sol Dog “will always be raising money for the programming,” Harris said. Toward that end, it is creating the Forever Home Mosaic Wall, to be placed in the front lobby of the new building, “to help with the costs of the transition from two locations to the single campus” and other expenses.
Families, shelters, rescues, municipalities and community organizations are welcome to use Sol Dog’s services. “By fostering stronger pet-owner relationships and supporting community resilience, our efforts contribute to building healthier and more compassionate societies,” Sol Dog said in a release.
Among the guests Tuesday was Elisa Ng, who operates EL Design Studio, and her son Sean. Ng has provided “incredible design services pro bono” to Sol Dog, Harris said.
“I love the dogs,” Ng said.
So do many others.
The website is soldoglodge.com.
