Burlington Animal Shelter to expand facility
The shelter is inspected annually by the State Agricultural Department and has not met basic state standards on health and cleanliness. Program Coordinator, Laura Michel, believes disease control, air flow, population, and drainage are just a handful of problems the shelter is experiencing.
“We need to consider our staff and and their safety we need to consider the health and safety of the animals here and the building back there is not functional,” she said. “It is not healthy. It is not functional. There is nothing really good about that building. That’s why it needs to come down and we need a new facility.”
The shelter hopes to soon renovate this less than ideal space into a brand new facility. One that can fit all the demands and needs of their animals. As it is the only public shelter in Alamance county, every animals in need of a home winds up here.
“If something comes in and it’s a stray or a surrender or part of an investigation…we have to take it in. No matter what we have to figure it out and make room for it.”
However there never seems to be enough room. Euthanasia is a common way to control population, but is always used as a last resort.
“Three years ago we were running probably about 70-75% euthanasia and now we are around 30-35% in there.”
The new facility will not only be better for the pets, but for the adopters too. Melissa Glass, dog-adopter, believes that the community needs to get more involved.
“Why pay for a dog when there are so many dogs that need to be rescued?”
Not only will the new facility improve the quality of life for the animals who live there, but could change the perception that not all shelters are bad.
“But for me personally one thing that I want to see is that I want to see a shift in the perception in the shelter,” she said. “I am tired of people saying, ‘Its such a sad place and its so horrible there and all that.’ Yeah it is sad. It is difficult. We didn’t create this problem but we are here to handle it the best we can.”
No plans have been made to renovate yet, but the shelter has contacted town hall for money to complete this upcoming project.
