Brookhaven Animal Rescue League leaders are looking to pick upthe pace toward construction of a new indoor animal shelter.

While a dream for many years, the new shelter has been theorganization’s focus for about a year and a half, said BARLbuilding chairman Rusty Adcock said. He reported some progress inraising the estimated $150,000 needed for the new building.

“We’ve raised just over $20,000 so we have a long way to go, butwe’ll make it dollar by dollar, ” Adcock said.

Adcock said the date to have the facility built has not beendetermined. With the organization being non-profit and other animalcare expenses, he speculated it could be several years down theroad.

“Tomorrow night is the kickoff, so to speak, for the buildingeffort,” said Adcock, referring to the “Celebrity” dinnerfund-raiser at the Country Fisherman.

The buffet will open at 6:30 and tickets are $25.

The evening’s waiters and waitresses will be local celebrities.Festivities will also include a silent auction, door prizes and araffle.

The shelter will be 3,000 square feet and include a puppy room,dog runs, a cat room and an operating room. The facility will beused to hold animals until they can get adopted into new homes.

The shelter will be built near Hartley-Gove Sons Thermometerplant. Currently, dogs and puppies are housed in outdoor pens nearthe plant while cats and kittens are boarded at the three areaveterinarian offices.

Adcock said Co-Lin heavy equipment students cleared the land andBARL members have been working with the city to get water and sewerservices to the site.

“We’re trying to have it all in place when the funds becomeavailable,” Adcock said.

Adcock said cold and wet winter months make it harder to getvolunteers to help with cleaning out pens and other duties.

“It’s muddy, but the dogs still need feeding, watering and theirpens still need cleaning,” Adcock said.

In addition to Tuesday’s fund-raiser, BARL is also sellingengraved bricks to be placed in the new facility’s walkway. Eachbrick is $50 and can be engraved with a special pet’s or person’sname. Anyone interested in purchasing a brick can e-mailbethha@barl.net. Brookhaven Monument is donating the bricks.