VIRGINIA- When volunteers with the Iron Range Dog Training Club got together last August for a bi-monthly cleaning of their training center, they got a costly surprise. As they folded the rubber matting covering the floors back to do their regular maintenance, they found water and mold underneath. After further inspection, they found mold in the drywall.
“We stopped cleaning and got out of the building,” said club president Lisa Anderson, of Tower, “and contacted ServiceMaster to get the space professionally cleaned.”
But this was just the start of the struggle for the nonprofit club, which rents space at the Uptown Mall (formerly the Thunderbird Mall) in Virginia.
The club’s insurance company sent a claims specialist, who initially determined the water was coming from a faulty roof repair. Later inspections found the water was coming from a pipe, inside the wall, which was leaking.
The club’s insurance refused the claim for the cleaning costs and the damage to the mats, which were not repairable because the mold had infiltrated the porous surface. The insurer noted that since the club was merely a tenant, the responsibility for damages rest with the building’s owner. The bill for cleaning and removal of the mold topped $15,000. The damaged mats were valued at $10,000.
The club then approached management at the mall, which is owned by a large national chain.
“The mall’s ownership said the damage was due to a lack of reasonable upkeep and maintenance by the club,” said Anderson, although it’s not clear how regular upkeep could have prevented damage from a leaking pipe inside a wall. The club had an informal conversation with an attorney, who told them “we have a case,” but also said the cost of winning a judgment in court would be extremely costly. The Timberjay contacted mall management for comment, but did not receive a response prior to deadline.
The club has been renting the indoor space in the mall for 16 years, which has offered a safe spot to teach dogs, and their owners, general obedience and more advanced skills.
The club’s only income comes from class fees, and the club had to cancel fall classes due to the damage. The club is still paying $1,200 a month rent to the mall, along with utility costs, and its reserves are nearly exhausted.
“We are struggling right now,” said Anderson. “Our club is a nonprofit. None of our instructors are paid, and none of our board members are paid.”
The club members are hoping to rebuild their reserves with donations from the public, especially from those whose dogs have benefited from the professional classes offered over the years, or those interested in attending future sessions.
The mall started letting the club use another smaller, currently vacant, space next to their location for classes starting last month. The club spent $3,000 on mats to use in this space, and a new series of winter classes will begin in January.
The next session for puppy classes will begin sometime in January 2025. Classes cost $110 for an eight-week session (nine including the pet owner orientation class). Contact club secretary/treasurer Patty Stanaway at 218-749-4335 to get more information.
Iron Range Dog Training Club
The club, which was formed over 50 years ago, offers training classes for general obedience, agility, rally, scent training, and more. Classes are offered on an ongoing basis and are taught by experienced volunteers. Classes work to create a better relationship between the dog and their owner, along with teaching owners to understand why dogs behave the way they do, and how to advance behavior modification using positive, reward-based methods.
The club also sponsors competitions in agility and scent work. Before that, the group worked out of a rental space in Mt. Iron, as well as the old Miner’s Memorial building.
Hundreds of dogs and their owners complete classes every year, Anderson said.
“The Puppy 1, Puppy 2, and Beginner Obedience are the most popular for people wanting a well-mannered family pet,” she said. “We also offer classes for people who want their dogs to participate in dog sports, like rally, obedience, agility, and scent work.”
Local vet and club vice-president Sandra Tuominen taught classes for 4-H members for years but had to stop when her vet practice became too busy. She still teaches a number of the core classes for the club.
Anderson teaches some of the puppy and beginning obedience courses. She also offers private sessions with reactive and aggressive dogs. She breeds and shows German Shepherds, who also compete in agility/rally and nose work competitions.
You can help
Donations are greatly appreciated and can be mailed to: IRDTC, PO Box 14, Virginia MN 55792.