DETROIT LAKES — Since 2008, the nonprofit Marshmallow Animal Shelter and City Pound has been housed in the same Mallard Street building as both the Lucky Dog Boarding and Training Center and the Patriot Assistance Dogs (PAD).

But after the PAD program found a new home last summer, Lucky Dog owner Linda Wiedewitsch has decided to put the property (including both land and building) up for sale — and now the race is on for Marshmallow to purchase the Detroit Lakes facility as a permanent home.

"We need a $100,000 down payment to secure the financing," says Marshmallow board member Jim Brogren. "We have until July 23 to come up with it."

"The purpose of this campaign is to purchase the building and secure our future," said Shelter Manager Cassi Ohman.

The $750,000 price tag of the overall capital campaign includes not just the building purchase, but additional financing to renovate the facility and take over the boarding and dog day care services from Lucky Dog.

"Our new name will be the Marshmallow Animal Shelter and Boarding Facility," said Brogren.

Planned renovations include expanding the cat room, remodeling the kennels and adding cameras, "so people boarding their dogs here can watch their dogs the time they are boarded here," said Jenny Lee, another member of Marshmallow's board of directors who has been involved in organizing the capital campaign.

Thus far, the shelter has raised about $30,000 for the down payment, she added.

One thing that many people might not realize, Brogren said, is that Marshmallow serves as the city pound for not just Detroit Lakes, but also Audubon, Callaway, Frazee, Lake Park, Waubun and Mahnomen. That means they also serve as a quarantine site for incidents where a dog has bitten a human and needs to be tested for rabies. Such quarantines can last 10-14 days.

"We have about 400-500 animals coming in here each year," Ohman said, adding that they are currently home to about 25 dogs and 60 cats, with another 10 dogs in foster care.

"All those animals ... where would they go, and what would all these communities do (if Marshmallow closed)?" Brogren added.

Ohman said they even sometimes act as a temporary boarding site for animals when their owners need an extended hospital stay, and have no friends or relatives available to care for their pet until they can return home.

Another fact that many people might not know about Marshmallow is that they are truly committed to finding homes for all of the animals that come through their doors.

"We are a no-kill shelter," Brogren said.

"Just over this past Christmas holiday, we adopted out a dog named Cali, after four years with us," Ohman said. "We're committed to these animals."

"It was very important to us that Cassi will continue on as the shelter manager," Brogren said.

"We love her passion for the animals," Lee added.

It's a passion that started when she was a child; Ohman's family kept a variety of pets — including more than a few exotic ones — while she was growing up.

"We had birds, lizards, chinchillas ... we even had an alligator once," she recalled. "You name it (the animal), I think we had it."

Which was good practice for her current occupation, as not all of the animals that come through Marshmallow's doors are of the feline or canine persuasion.

"We've had a chicken, a horse, a goose, a fish, a bearded dragon," Lee said. "We pretty much take in any animal that comes in — and Cassi is fantastic with every one of them."

"Anyone who knows her knows this is her passion," Brogren added. "She lives and breaths this shelter 24/7."

"She's got such a big heart for animals she's even slept in the kennel when one of our dogs was giving birth," said Lee.

That dog, Cinder, is about a year and a half old, and both she and her puppies are up for adoption at the shelter.

"She had seven puppies," Ohman said. "Only one of them is adopted."

Once Marshmallow takes over the dog day care and boarding services from Lucky Dog, they will need to employ more than the current 20 people they have on staff.

"We are looking for staffing ... and volunteers," Ohman said, adding that Marshmallow has volunteer opportunities aplenty for anyone interested.

Currently, they employ the services of about 70 volunteers a year, with tasks such as cleaning kennels, feeding the animals, walking the dogs or taking them out to their (fenced-in) outdoor exercise areas, and socializing the cats, just to name a few.

But the biggest immediate need, of course, is to raise the necessary down payment to secure the building for purchase. To that end, Marshmallow has set up a "Big Paws" pledge campaign, with pledge levels ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 and above.

"All pledges will be included in the donor recognition wall at the shelter," Brogren said.

"They'll also be listed on our website, marshmallowfoundation.org, and in mentions on social media," added Lee.

Donors can choose to give via ACH debit as well as cash or checks — made out to Marshmallow Animal Shelter, and mailed to: Midwest Bank, Attention Jenny Lee, P.O. Box 703, Detroit Lakes MN 56502.

"We're also in the process of setting up a GoFundMe account," said Lee, noting that information about it will be posted to their web page and social media sites once it is finalized.

Those with further questions can contact either Brogren at 218-841-2968 or Lee at 701-219-4880.