Animal Care Center Needs Community Support

The City of Grants Animal Care Center held its annual holiday Open House Thursday, December 22, 2022 from 12 pm to 4 pm. Members of the community were invited to come and visit the care center, meet the amazing staff, and possibly find a new family member. Currently, there are adult dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens of all sizes that need forever homes. Every personality imaginable is living at the center right now.

The Animal Care Center is actively rescuing, caring for, and adopting out dogs and cats who have become strays or who have been surrendered by people who can no longer care for the animal. The center is currently at capacity meaning there is no room inside the building. Overflow animals must be contained outside, and that is something the center tries to avoid in these cold winter months. The facility is set up to comfortably hold 25 animals, but as of today, they have over 40 animals.

“Our biggest challenge is educating the public about spaying and neutering their pets,” Animal Care Director Dale Kuehnert said on Thursday. Without a spay and neuter program, communities become overwhelmed with animals that have no homes. “Getting out to the schools and teaching kids about animal care is so important, so they can really appreciate what it means,” Kuehnert added.

Animal Control Officer, Trish Alires,who has been on the job for about a month after working as a volunteer said that spaying and neutering pets “reduces their risk of cancer, can decrease their desire to mark their territory, lessens fighting, and helps control the pet population.”

The Animal Care Center will provide Grant’s residents with a $25 spay/neuter voucher to take to their veterinarian for a pet they did not adopt from the care center if they request one, but if a person adopts a dog or cat from the care center, that animal will be fixed before it leaves the premises. Kuehnert said that one of the future goals is to expand the center and bring in a part-time vet.

Recently, the center was able to free up some space by sending a number of dogs and cats to shelters in Colorado, Ohio, and Minnesota by collaborating with the Colorado-based Rez Dawg Rescue, and Puppy Luv Animal Rescue in Arizona. They are both non-profits committed to saving, healing, and adopting out dogs and cats. According to Animal Control Officer Jennifer Mc-Crackan, homes have already been identified for many of the dogs and cats that are transported to other cities.

According to the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), nearly 1 in 5 American households adopted a pet during the pandemic. With work from home routines being more common for many families over the last two years, it may have been easier to care for a new pet. But, as the economy re-opened more families may have found themselves with less flexible schedules and less money to purchase pet food and pay for vet bills. Not everyone was able to make that lifelong commitment to their new pet, and some animals found themselves being surrendered at shelters or on the streets scared, alone, and hungry.

Juan Lopez has been an Animal Control Officer for about five months and said, “seeing animals suffer is the hardest part.” Grant’s residents who do not offer proper care to their pets may be given a warning and guidance from an animal control officer, and then checked on in two days to ensure that better care is being provided. If no changes have been made, the pet owner can receive a citation. In worst case scenarios, pets can be removed from the owner.

Animal Care Officer McCrackan said that besides rescuing and caring for animals, the Animal Care Center staff spend a big chunk of their day cleaning the facility. If an individual wants to help the center and cannot adopt a pet, “they can volunteer to walk dogs, play with kittens, clean kennels, and do laundry. We also accept donations like bedding and pet food.”

Dog walking volunteer Genette Irsik said, “we need more walkers. This is better than going to the gym, and it’s free.” The City of Grants Animal Care Center is located at 722 Sakelares Blvd. It’s open to the public Monday thru Friday from 10 am to 3 pm. The phone number is 505-285-4012.