Five Acres Animal Shelter Wins Third Place in Grow St. Louis Contest

won third place in the third round of the Grow St. Louis contest and a $5,000 grant.

The grant will be matched by a private donor, which will give the no-kill shelter $10,000 to put toward veterinary care. The shelter spends an average of $200 on each dog on veterinary care, said Brittney Broombaugh, director of development and volunteers.

Broombaugh was obsessively checking her computer Monday morning when she finally saw the announcement about the winners on Facebook. 

"For us it was really a great community effort," she said. "We were encouraging all of our volunteers to vote. ... It shows the community supports us." 

The House Rabbit Society of Missouri won first place and a $15,000 grant. Wentzville Special Sports took second place and $10,000. Grow St. Louis contest is sponsored by Monsanto. More than 17,000 people voted for more than 100 local projects in this third round of the competition, according to a press release. 

Construction is nearing completion on the . The new building will have twice as many kennels, a laundry room and kitchen, space for grooming, meet and greet rooms and a gift shop. The current building will be renovated to include an education center.

Broombaugh said they get lots of interest from girl and boy scouts hoping to volunteer. This will provide them a place to learn more and possibly earn a badge. 

A grand opening is planned for May.