Disease control is a major consideration at animal shelters to prevent the spread of harmful and contagious bacteria and viruses, the release said, adding animal shelters require surfaces that can be cleaned effectively.
“Some of our kennel surfaces are peeling, largely due to dogs scratching or chewing on them,” Animal Care Supervisor Melissa Sheldon said in the release. “Bacteria and viruses can adhere to the openings and pass disease from dog to dog.”
The project is expected to take 28 days. During that time, only half of the dog kennels may be used while the other half are worked on, which means a maximum of 12-14 dogs can be housed without doubling up. That’s where community support comes in.
“It is crucial that people continue to adopt and work with us on strays and surrenders, so that we don’t have more dogs than we can safely handle,” Sheldon said.
The resurfacing project is largely funded by donations to the animal shelter over the past few years, the release said. Donations will cover 60 percent of the cost, while the city will cover the remainder.
The resurfacing project coincides with the Clear The Shelter campaign, a national campaign that encourages people to adopt from their local shelters in an effort to “clear the shelters.”
This year, the campaign will be a monthlong virtual adoption campaign to prioritize shelter and adopter safety during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the release.
The Georgetown Animal Shelter is the open-intake municipal shelter for Georgetown and has been serving the community since the 1970s. It recently celebrated its fifth consecutive year of achieving a live outcome rate above 90 percent, which means it is considered a no-kill shelter.
