Animal shelter reopened

Upgrades near completion

MOSES LAKE - The Grant County Animal Outreach animal shelter reopened Saturday as planned after illnesses killed most of the dogs housed at the shelter last month.

Six dogs and two cats were adopted the day the shelter reopened, Outreach President Harmony White said. There are approximately 40 to 50 dogs in the recently sanitized shelter along with approximately 50 cats.

White said she suspects kennel cough was the initial viral infection leading to the onset of pneumonia. She said kennel cough is common at the shelter and animals are vaccinated for it when they arrive.

"Due to the air conditions in the shelter and the stress level of dogs in a shelter environment, their immune systems can be lower than normal," White said. "Dogs that were adopted into homes recovered quickly with the appropriate treatment. Dogs in the shelter environment have lower immunity and higher stress, therefore less likely to recover and more likely to become infected."

A total of 58 dogs and puppies were euthanized or died due to severe symptoms of the illnesses. The cats did not catch the same illness the dogs did. The cats are being treated for upper respiratory illnesses, partly due to poor air

circulation at the shelter.

The shelter remodel has totaled approximately $24,000 and will ease decontamination procedures in the future and helped to eliminate the most recent disease outbreak, she said. The kennels were sand blasted, sealed and repainted.

There is still a need to install an improved ventilation system and an appropriate heating and cooling system, White said.

She said the shelter flooded with volunteer support during the weekend remodel. Columbia Basin Job Corps students helped with the repairs and shelter board members worked through the night on the remodel.

White said the next big step for shelter upgrade is an improved exhaust system. The current exhaust system contributed to the illness of the dogs due to poor ventilation, she said.

"We used every dollar we had in the bank to get this far," White said. "Without some hefty donations, the next step will be a ways off. We will be doing major fund-raising to try and keep improving the shelter."

Donations can be sent to Grant County Animal Outreach at P.O. Box 489 in Moses Lake.