New animal shelter nearing completion

Roger Varley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

"Something this important is worth waiting for."

Mayor Dave Barton made that comment last Thursday as a group of invited guests toured the still-under-construction new animal shelter on Lake Ridge Road. Barton said the guests, including Ginger Jackson, who has been working for 16 years to see the new shelter built, had all been a major part of seeing the project move ahead.

The mayor said the shelter has been built to last the next 50 years.

The new shelter will be a vast improvement on the current shelter, located on Reach Street in Port Perry. Large and spacious, the shelter will have three kitchens: one for dog food, one for cat food and one for the staff. The staff will also have improved quarters, with each employee having their own desk space.

The dog compartments have cinder block walls instead of metal bars and each compartment has its own exit to the exercise area. Cats also have an exercise area, known as the Catio.

There are isolation rooms for newly arrived animals to make sure they are in good health before being placed with other animals. The shelter's garage allows animals to be brought right into the shelter for examination. The isolation rooms also allow animals that have been spayed or neutered to recover quietly.

There will be two cat adoption rooms and another room where people can spend time with dogs before deciding on adoption.

The shelter is surrounded by land that contains trails, which will allow visitors to take dogs for a walk.

For Jackson, who headed up the NASUS (New Animal Shelter for Uxbridge and Scugog) fundraising group for several years, said the new facility is better than expected.

The shelter is expected to be completed in December, with the opening scheduled for early in the new year.