Community volunteers to build fences to keep people and pets together
May 12, 2026
By Reader Staff
As part of Cedar Hills Church’s “Serve Sandpoint” day on Sunday, June 14, volunteers from the congregation, along with other members of the Sandpoint community, will head out across the area to complete a variety of service projects — including building three fences at no cost to community members in need of secure outdoor spaces for their pets.
Applications for the fencing projects are open now through Friday, May 15.
Interested individuals and families can apply online at bettertogetheranimalalliance.org or in person at the Bonner Community Food Bank (1707 Culvers Drive, in Sandpoint), or during business hours at BTAA’s Animal Care Center (870 Kootenai Cutoff Road, in Ponderay).
Selected applicants will be notified by Monday, June 1. To qualify, applicants must reside in Sagle, Dover, Sandpoint, Ponderay or Kootenai.
Applications are open for the BTAA Good Neighbors Fencing Project. Courtesy photo
“The last time we held this event in the summer of 2024, we had almost 400 volunteers working on about 18 service projects,” stated Michele Murphee, of Cedar Hills Church. “For our 2024 event and this event, our service projects are primarily with our local nonprofits and schools. Again this year, we have about 18 projects and we’re really excited about getting the opportunity to work with BTAA on three of them.”
The fence-building projects are intended to help pet owners ensure their furred friends aren’t lost, surrendered or injured while roaming unsupervised. In 2025 alone, BTAA took in 177 stray dogs, many from situations where a safe, enclosed space could have made a difference.
“This type of collaboration is what makes our region such a wonderful place to live,” stated BTAA Executive Director Mandy Evans. “We’re launching this project during Live Give 7B, a countywide campaign that celebrates and supports local nonprofits. And while a generous donor is matching contributions up to $10,000 made to BTAA during the Live Give 7B campaign, this fencing project is made possible through dedicated partnerships with Cedar Hills and Humble & Black Real Estate. These fences are more than just materials. They’re peace of mind for families and a way to keep pets safe at home, where they belong. …
“Keeping people and pets together is the core of our mission,” she added.
BTAA is a nonprofit animal welfare organization based in Ponderay but serving Bonner, Boundary and Kootenai counties.
Learn more at bettertogetheranimalalliance.org, cedarhillschurch.com and humbleandblack.com.
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