Two months ago, High Country Humane (HCH) and Coconino Humane Association (CHA) announced that they would merge. CHA had been around for 70 years, holding the Flagstaff/Coconino County animal services contract until 2019 when it was awarded to the newly formed HCH. At that time CHA became a private nonprofit shelter. Since then, HCH has operated the shelter in the more modern building vacated by the former Second Chance Center for Animals and donated to Coconino County by the Wilson family, who built it in 2004.
To keep this column focused on the positive future of animal welfare in Flagstaff and Coconino County, I think it is important you know that the CHA board approached the HCH board about merging after realizing they had insufficient funds to operate for another year and it was merge or close the doors. After doing their due diligence by meeting with city and county leaders (and garnering their support), engaging an attorney for the legal issues, and consulting with the T Paul Thomas Center for Nonprofit Entrepreneurship at NAU, the two boards decided to move forward with the merger. It was finalized near the end of May.
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