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Whitman County Humane Society to honor McCluskey with new cat wing

This Aug. 21, 2018 photo, provided by the University of Utah, shows Lauren McCluskey, a member of the University of Utah cross country and track and field team. McCluskey, a University of Utah student was shot and killed on campus by a former boyfriend Melvin Rowland, who was found dead hours later inside a church Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018, authorities said. (Steve C. Wilson / AP)
This Aug. 21, 2018 photo, provided by the University of Utah, shows Lauren McCluskey, a member of the University of Utah cross country and track and field team. McCluskey, a University of Utah student was shot and killed on campus by a former boyfriend Melvin Rowland, who was found dead hours later inside a church Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2018, authorities said. (Steve C. Wilson / AP)
By Anthony Kuipers Moscow-Pullman Daily News

The Whitman County Humane Society is building a new addition to its facility in honor of Lauren McCluskey, the Pullman High School graduate and former WCHS volunteer who was murdered on the University of Utah campus last month.

The new addition, dubbed the “Lauren McCluskey Cat Wing,” is expected to be completed this spring.

Kym Darling, president of the WCHS board of directors, said the foundation for the 400-square-foot addition has already been poured.

She said the Humane Society started the process of campaigning and fundraising to build a cat wing in May, and after the 21-year-old McCluskey died, the family approached the Humane Society with the proposal to name it after her.

Darling said in the weeks since her death, donations have poured in for the project that will allow the organization to house double the amount of cats and kittens it already has. The WCHS website said in 2016 and 2017, the organization cared for 168 and 214 cats respectively.

Two anonymous donors have pledged $20,000, according to the WCHS website. Others have been donating anything from $10 to $100, Darling said.

After the project began with limited funds, the generosity of the community following McCluskey’s death has given the board confidence the cat wing will be fully funded.

“Now it looks like we probably will get enough money,” Darling said.

McCluskey often volunteered at the Humane Society and helped socialize the cats to make them more adoptable. She also owned two cats of her own, Fuzzy and Victory.

Darling said the Humane Society is grateful to the McCluskey family for their support, and while it is thrilled to receive the donations, “you wish it was for a different reason.”

The Humane Society has long struggled with providing enough kennels for stray cats that come into the facility.

Darling said the current cat building was not originally built for that purpose. It was supposed to be used only as an administration building, but the project ran out of money. The organization had to combine the cat kennels and the administration offices into the same facility, limiting the amount of space available for stray cats. There is currently a waiting list for anyone who wants to bring in a feline.

“We have to turn them away simply because we don’t have room,” she said.

Additionally, the limited space has affected the staff, who are forced to work in an environment that Darling said is claustrophobic and congested.

“You literally feel like you’re in an ant colony,” she said.

Jan Luft, vice president of the board of directors, said the new cat wing will alleviate that congestion and create an environment better suited for those looking for a feline friend.

“Hopefully we will have a nice place for people to meet and greet their potential adoptive cat,” she said.