A long-awaited project to replace the decaying Lucas County Canine Care & Control shelter is finally getting under way.
The Lucas County commissioners passed a resolution Tuesday to post advertisements for an owners representative with the intent of developing a new county dog shelter. It’s the first public step commissioners have taken in several years toward replacing the run-down facility.
“We declared the next move,” Commissioners President Tina Skeldon Wozniak said. “We’re assembling a team to help get this done. We’re very, very excited to move forward on a new facility.”
The move comes nearly a decade after the American Humane Association evaluated the current shelter at 410 S. Erie St. near downtown Toledo and declared it unsuitable and substandard. The organization strongly urged the county in 2010 to begin planning to replace the shelter within three to five years of the assessment.
Then the county conducted a feasibility study in 2015 to determine if it could renovate the shelter, build a new one, or renovate the former county engineer's buildings at 2504 Detroit Ave. near the Anthony Wayne Trail. Each option came with an estimated price tag of about $10 million.
Mrs. Wozniak said the county has many aging buildings and the commissioners have to prioritize their needs. Officials have discussed the need for a new shelter for years.
“This was still one of the critical priorities and we’re ready to make the move,” she said. “This is the year. It’s been a hard process getting to this point, but we’re here.”
Richard Stewart, shelter director, said he is thrilled to see the county take formal action to begin the process. Though the shelter has saved more dogs every year for a number of years, he said the building is the single largest barrier inhibiting staff from making larger strides.
“Not that it solves all our problems, but it’s a huge part of allowing us to do better for the dogs and the community,” he said. “It’s a different world we live in now, especially when it comes to animal care. What’s expected of an animal shelter now is much more and it should be. We’re trying to get to that standard of care.”
The existing facility was never designed for its current use and is plagued with problems, including a lack of adequate space to house large dogs, very little isolation space for sick canines, inadequate drains, a continual rodent infestation, and aging heating, cooling, and ventilation systems that need frequent repair.
Many of those problems contribute to an unhealthy environment for the dogs. The shelter continually battles kennel cough — which is essentially a canine cold — and is always at risk for other disease outbreaks. Poor disease control means increased expenses to treat dogs and hold them for longer periods.
“Disease control is a really big struggle for us,” Mr. Stewart said. “This building just wasn’t designed for what we do now. No isolation space, bad drains, poor ventilation, difficult to clean — all of those things just add up to be a nightmare when it comes to good animal care and disease control.”
The building’s issues also exact a heavy toll on staff, making an already difficult job by nature even more taxing both physically and mentally.
“You feel like you’re on a treadmill,” working hard but getting nowhere, Mr. Stewart said. “A new shelter would be a huge morale boost for them.”
A dog shelter is unlike any other building in the county and will have specific needs that aren’t common in other types of facilities. Mrs. Wozniak said the county is seeking someone who has experience with animal shelters to guide the county through the project.
“The county will get the right people in place to do this well,” she said. “We’re very excited and very serious about it.”
Mrs. Wozniak said she expects the shelter will have to be moved from its current location because the property does not have space for many of the things a new shelter should have to meet current animal-care standards. She also said it is likely the county will fund the project with a bond issue.
Mr. Stewart said he wants to invest first and foremost in the most basic and critical systems such as plumbing, ventilation, and kennels that allow both for better care for the animals and efficient cleaning. The ability to compartmentalize various areas so they can be shut down and isolated in the event of disease is also critical, as is general isolation space for ill dogs.
He would also like more outdoor space for play areas for the dogs to socialize and burn off excess energy.
“It’s not the bells and whistles that I’m really looking for,” he said. “Not that there won’t be bells and whistles, but I’d rather put the money into the things that are going to be sustainable and makes it a good working shelter.”
A new shelter will take time to design and construct, but this first small step to get things rolling is very good news, Mr. Stewart said.
“I’m happy we’ve gotten to this point and I hope to see us progress through this year and get closer and closer to cutting that ribbon,” he said. “Every little step will be exciting along the way.”
First Published February 13, 2019, 3:47 p.m.
