By the end of summer, the Taylor Animal Shelter’s capacity will increase from 17 to 30 kennels for canines awaiting forever homes.
But the situation for the shelter, which is maxed out and cannot accept new dogs, could get worse in the short term.
“We are a critical level at the animal shelter,” the shelter’s official Facebook page states. “We must have the community’s help in order to make it through our growing pains. If you have a safe home, we can provide any supplies you may need to foster for us.”
The $2.25 million expansion will include bulldozing the current sevenkennel outdoor space to add 20 indoor/ outdoor climate-controlled spots for the dogs, as well as renovations to their current 10-kennel indoor space.
Additionally, construction plans call for renovations and an expansion to the cattery, including an isolation room for sick felines, and more.
But figuring out where to put dogs during construction is putting stress on an already full facility, officials said.
Initially, construction was set to begin with the removal of the roof of the indoor kennels next week, which would have shut it down temporarily, but Animal Control Supervisor Sandy Perio said that plan has been put on hold.
“Right now, the focus is going to be getting the new outdoor kennels built, and then getting the roof taken off the indoor kennel, and then the roof new roof put over the outdoor and indoor kennels, so we can at least have those 20 new outdoor kennels to use while they are redoing the inside of our indoor kennel,” Perio said.
Still, event with the current situation, volunteer Dawn Jones said the no-kill shelter is already having to turn dogs away.
“We are telling people do not pick them (dogs) up if you cannot keep them,” Jones said.
Perio said there simply isn’t any room.
“Right now, we are at capacity, so if we have anymore dogs, we have nowhere to put them,” Perio said. “We have 17 kennels, and we are full with 17 dogs right now.”
“This morning, somebody found a small dog, and luckily, we could take it because we were able to put it in one of the small cages in the cat room,” Perio added. “But a big dog we have nowhere to put. The problem is I never know when I am going to have no choice but to bring a dog in. If it’s aggressive, I can’t just leave it on the street. If it’s on highway (U.S.) 79, I can’t just leave it to let it get run over.”
In the meantime, the shelter is asking for the community to step up and help if they are able.
Individuals able to provide a safe, temporary or permanent home for a dog, including having a fenced-in area, are encouraged come by the shelter any day between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to meet the available dogs, or they can call 512-352-5483 for more information.
