The Bonnyville and District SPCA is appealing to the public for help with much-needed repairs.
The Bonnyville and District SPCA is appealing to the public for help with much-needed repairs.
Around 10 years after installation, the shelter's doggy doors, which allow the dogs to travel between their inside kennel and an outdoor one, have deteriorated and caused major safety concerns.
"What's happening is these frames are rusting out, and rusted metal cuts very easily. The metal is bent and it will cut a dog and seriously injure them," explained shelter manager Heather Mutch. "It's a priority for me because it's the safety of not only the dogs, but the staff. Sometimes when we have a dog that doesn't want to come back inside, because a lot of them are scared and stressed, we're crawling through the doggy door with the dog."
The original doggy doors and frames were constructed with sheet metal. The SPCA recently had the doors replaced but daily washing of the kennels has now caused the frames to rust through past the point of repair. Since the doggy doors weren't built in equal sizes, the shelter is looking at a major cost to have someone come in and replace each of the frames individually in the five isolation kennels and nine adoptable kennels.
"When they built the dog building, nothing was built exactly square. We're looking at a big cost for a company to come in, build each frame and install it," said Mutch.
In addition to the doggy door frames, the chain link fence that surrounds the dog yards is also a top priority. Between dogs tearing apart the fence and dirt and gravel piles from the neighbouring town yard, the fencing is on its last legs. The wear and tear has the staff resorting to zip ties as a temporary solution.
"There's one whole yard we can't use because the dogs crawl right out under where there's a hole in the fence. We've had dogs that have gone into the town shop yard quite often."
The local shelter has turned to crowd funding to help them meet their goal. Last week, Mutch set up a Go Fund Me account with the hopes of raising $20,000 by June. As of Monday, the page has raised $290 towards the cause.
"Twenty-thousand dollars would buy us all new doggy door frames, all the new wiring and installation of everything," said Mutch, adding that if the frames continue to deteriorate they will be able to use less and less kennels.
The isolation side is particularly important as each dog that is brought to the SPCA must spend a specified amount of time by themselves. Puppies spend 10 days in isolation, while larger adult dogs spend about five days in isolation before becoming adoptable.
"We're limiting ourselves to the number of animals we can bring in. If we don't raise enough money for all of our kennels, the initial side that will be done is the isolation kennels. That is the one that has the doors in it right now."
With the current downturn in economy, the Bonnyville and District SPCA has felt the impact of limited donations. While worrying about their ability to scrounge together funds for this project, the SPCA did receive some good news on another front.
Earlier this month, staff were informed the shelter was approved for a provincial Community Initiatives Program (CIP) grant. Unsure of the exact amount, Mutch noted they do know it's less than the $75,000 they had applied for.
Unfortunately, the grant regulations state that the money can only be used for a project that was listed in the application - which was made at a time when the doggy door frames weren't even a thought.
"I can't say 100 per cent for sure, because it has to be approved by the board, but I know what I'd do with the grant money: our dog kennels outside, we need to put a roof over them. I'm pretty sure they will agree with that," expressed Mutch.
Since the grant money won't be assisting with their most pressing project, Mutch is hoping the community will come together to help them out whether it be monetary or companies donating the materials. Construction on the doggy door frames and fencing is set to start in June, should the money come in, to ensure the shelter dogs are set for the winter.
To donate to the Bonnyville and District SPCA's project, go to www.gofundme.com/bonnyvillespca.
