Lubbock Animal Services is upgrading its building and its policies. It’s all part of a plan to make the shelter as comfortable and healthy as possible for the animals.
“We have basically made it a lot easier to get animals in and out,” said Jace Morse, shelter supervisor. “We have a much wider foster base, and so we can get animals in and out of the shelter much quicker.”
The foster system isn’t the only thing that is being expanded, as the floors will also be renovated. They will now become epoxy floors, unlike concrete floors that can trap diseases there. Kia Riemath, assistant director of Lubbock Animal Services, says it is a needed change.
“Even though you clean the surface, it’s still there,” said Riemath. “So the epoxy, we have an epoxy throughout the rest of the newest parts of the shelter, and the illness rate was much, much, much lower.”
However, it is not just the building that’s changing, but also the policies. Dogs and cats may only be dropped off to the shelter from 2-6 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays.
“It’s to make it more organized,” said Riemath. “If one dog is sick that comes in, then now all of the dogs are sick. We do this for their benefit.”
The shelter also joined in on a program called Reading for Paws. Kids can come in and practice their reading skills to some very furry ears.
“They sit there and they read to the dogs and cats, and these animals love it,” said Riemath. “They’re just both enthralled. It helps both the animal, calms them down, de-stresses them, and it helps the kids with their reading.”
For a shelter that once had a 70 percent euthanization rate, it has switched that number with an adoption rate of 75 percent for this June.
Riemath said it is a welcome change, and they have no plans on ever going back.
