A faster track to adoption: County contracts new $3.5 animal shelter
Martin Kidston
(Missoula Current) The dogs and cats under the care of the Missoula County Animal Control Shelter will find more comfort and a faster track to adoption once the county completes its new $3.5 million facility.
Commissioners on Thursday approved the construction contract, ending more than three years of work to reach this point. The new facility is expected to open next year.
“Our shelter was built about 20 years ago and Missoula has grown in the last 20 years,” said Shannon Therriault with the county health department. “The shelter is just not meeting the needs of the animals, the public or our staff.”
At a cost of roughly $3.5 million, the project will nearly double the size of the existing facility to 3,200 square feet. But it's what's on the inside that may have the biggest impact, Therriault said.
The new facility was designed in partnership with the University of Wisconsin's veterinary program to ensure it meets industry standards, which have changed since the original shelter opened. The new design considers modern kennels, spacing and double-sided rooms, among other things.
“We did a lot of redesign in the process,” Therriault said. “People are working on top of themselves. The meeting table is covered with animals because we don't have enough space for the animals or the people.”
The project also creates a modern veterinary room, replacing the old room that's small and doesn't offer animals a place to recover. The two-sided rooms also give animals a separate space to eat – away from other natural functions.
“It also creates two meet-and-greet rooms for the animals,” said Therriault. “In the wintertime, we have to do that in our tiny lobby. This gives the public more opportunity to interact with the animals.”
The double-sided rooms also give frightened animals a place to retreat. Unlike the current facility, cats will be separated from dogs, reducing their stress level. Therriault said the entire design will improve the health of the animals during their stay.
“It'll be just a better environment. The whole goal is to do right by the animals in our care and get them back home or adopted as quickly as possible,” Therriault said. “By reducing their stress, we can reduce their illness and the time they spend in the shelter.
To move the project forward, the county on Thursday signed a construction agreement with Jackson Contractor Group. Of the $3.5 million, roughly $41,000 was included to cover any contingency costs.
The new facility was designed by OZ Architects and is the first project subject to the county's new energy efficient building policy.
“We've made changes to the shelter that we otherwise wouldn't have made to reduce the energy usage and make it easier for us to install and use renewable energy,” Therriault said.