12:30am
Who gets the makeover?
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Richard Thomas and his team have a big job ahead of them. Aside from traveling all over the country this month, they have an ENORMOUS decision to make. Despite having narrowed the field to 20 with the contest, I don't envy the Zootoo team and the decision they must make. I'm sure there are very few shelters in this country that don't need an upgrade. From my experience, most counties see animal control as a necessary evil. It's a must have, but most people don't want to deal with the day to day hard work and heartache that go along with it.
As an active volunteer, it was heartwarming for me to see(through Zootoo) so many people across this country dedicated to savings animals. However, I can't tell you how many times I have heard from those that do not understand the passion, "You can't save them all." That statement leads me to explain why I think Henderson County deserves the makeover.
No, Maybe we can't save them all, but we don't turn any animal away, and shouldn't the animals that we take in haave the best life possible while they are in our care?
The concrete floors are cracked in many places throughout the facility. Regardless of how much cleaning is done, these cracks can still harbor bacteria. There is no ventilation system in the cat room, and the exhaust fans that are present over the dog runs do not function. Our dryers are not vented to the exterior, keeping the humidity level high, also a breeding ground for bacteria. The gates to the dog runs are in poor repair.
Like many shelters, to combat the problem of overpopulation, we have a low cost spay/neuter clinic. Due to limited space, the surgery area may also serve as the euthanasia room, and treatment room. Therefore, surgeries are done in the same area that sick animals are cared for. Some animals come to us alsready sick, but it is very disheartening when they become sick in our care. I think that upgrading the facility would greatly diminish this.
In a perfect world :) we'd love a visitation room, where potential adopters can spend one on one time with the animal that they are considering, and outside area for the "big" dogs to get out and run, and an isolation area for new intake puppies.
Ultimately, we'd just like to keep the animals in our care happy and healthy, while we try to find their forever homes. Hopefully with the increased awareness inspired by Zootoo, more and more people will realize the importance of spay/neuter. I dream that someday, I hear someone say, "Wow, you're really saving them all!"
We thank you and can't wait to welcome you to Henderson County on April 30th.
