Collaring success: Humane society making small improvements to new shelter
Published 10:28 am Friday, March 7, 2014
A cat peaks out from one of the cat boxes lining a wall at the Mower County Humane Society Thursday afternoon. The Humane Society received $1,000, and a volunteer put wood along the walls and built the boxes to go with it. — Eric Johnson
The air smells a little sweeter at the Mower County Humane Society.
That’s not just because of the ventilation system, one of the perks of the 9,000-square-foot building at 101 22nd St. SE. Humane Society volunteers say they couldn’t be happier with the year-old building they moved into last August, and they are making improvements for animal care.
“It’s been wonderful,” said Kelly Rush, Huamne Society volunteer.
The $800,000 building, the culmination of several years of planning, offers more cleaning areas, better containers for pets, better ventilation and more space. Volunteers are making improvements to the place, however. They have built additions such as a wall with cat boxes on the cat side of the shelter and have added better space.
They also plan to put up shelves near the cat boxes, as well as a “catio” – an outside lounge area for cooped-up cats inside one of the shelter’s fenced-in areas on its north side. Volunteers have already built the outside area and will put the catio up this spring.
“That’s going to be very exciting,” said Peggy Olson, Humane Society president. Olson said volunteers have greatly benefited from the extra space that the newer shelter provides compared to the old shelter, at 1010 10th Drive SE, which felt cramped as the shelter took in more animals.
Kelly Rush cleans out a litter box at the Humane Society Thursday afternoon.
The animals get better care at the newer facility — dogs aren’t facing each other at the shelter today, which has cut down on pooch stress. In addition, cats can be let out for longer periods of time inside their rooms, as each pod of eight cats rotates being outside of their cage overnight.
Volunteers are also celebrating earning more than $13,000 at their recent annual Pasta Dinner fundraiser and silent auction, which took place last month. That money will go toward operating expenses and further improvements to the shelter.
MCHS will likely have a new neighbor by the end of the year. Police Chief Brian Krueger told the Austin City Council during its retreat last month that the long-awaited new city pound, which city officials set aside money for in 2011, could be built by the end of the year. MCHS volunteers and city employees will be able to cut down on transportation time between the facilities and work more closely.
“That’s going to help a lot,” Olson said.
