From The Aiken Standard
Boulder, Colo.-based Animal Arts is studying the needs of the Aiken County Animal Shelter to determine whether it is best to proceed with an expansion or other alternatives to better serve the community and the animals that end up at the shelter.
Firm principal Jeff Keast recently shared a presentation with Aiken County Council in which he identified several areas of the shelter that do not sufficiently support shelter operations, including inadequate plumbing, cat housing and ventilation systems.
In fact, there is no air conditioning or HVAC system in the dog kennel area. Cross ventilation is provided only by industrial size fans. Ideally, an HVAC system should provide 12 air changes an hour on average, Keast noted.
Firm principal Jeff Keast recently shared a presentation with Aiken County Council in which he identified several areas of the shelter that do not sufficiently support shelter operations, including inadequate plumbing, cat housing and ventilation systems.
In fact, there is no air conditioning or HVAC system in the dog kennel area. Cross ventilation is provided only by industrial size fans. Ideally, an HVAC system should provide 12 air changes an hour on average, Keast noted.
All of these factors lead to the spread of disease, he said.
"I think everyone knows you need a new shelter. I hear time and time again that people don't like going to a shelter because it's too depressing. We want the shelter to be part of the community," he added. "If you want to create an environment where it shows you are successful at taking care of animals, people will want to be a part of it."
The goals for the Aiken County Animal Shelter include comfortable housing, a choice of environment and opportunities for physical and mental exercise and companionship.
Seventy-five percent of the design effort will focus on noise and odor control and meeting HVAC and wash and drainage requirements, according to Keast.
In May, the Animal Control Advisory Committee approached Council with a proposal - that it raise $100,000 in private money to pay for architectural services while the County internally finances the new facility and pays itself back when the third round of Capital Projects Sales Tax collections begins.
Aiken County Council entered into a memorandum of understanding with Friends of the Animal Shelter (FOTAS) in June to front $1 million to "fast track" a new shelter.
Upon the completion of Animal Arts' needs analysis, FOTAS and the Animal Control Advisory Committee will recommend to Council that either a new shelter be built, the existing one be renovated or an existing facility be purchased and improved.
The arrangement should accelerate work on the shelter and leave more money for actual bricks and mortar.
The Aiken County Animal Shelter has been allocated $1 million in the next round of sales tax.
"This is our one chance to do this shelter right, to make sure healthy animals coming through in-take don't become sick," said FOTAS President Jennifer Miller. "There are so many great things animal shelters can do to keep animals healthy. There are current standards and codes, and we don't meet them."
FOTAS believes a new shelter, or at least a renovated one, is desperately needed.
The current shelter is undersized, lacking the room to adequately separate animals that have been approved for adoption and those that are sick or vicious, according to the advisory committee. Air circulation is poor. The shelter's surgical facilities are also inadequate; there are no surgical preparation or recovery rooms. The euthanasia rate is high.
"We want a shelter for the next 10,15, 20 years from now. We don't want to Band-Aid it, but that's not to say we want to keep on going and build bigger and bigger shelters," Miller said. "Council will have to decide how best to complement the recommendations with a limited budget."
"I think everyone knows you need a new shelter. I hear time and time again that people don't like going to a shelter because it's too depressing. We want the shelter to be part of the community," he added. "If you want to create an environment where it shows you are successful at taking care of animals, people will want to be a part of it."
The goals for the Aiken County Animal Shelter include comfortable housing, a choice of environment and opportunities for physical and mental exercise and companionship.
Seventy-five percent of the design effort will focus on noise and odor control and meeting HVAC and wash and drainage requirements, according to Keast.
In May, the Animal Control Advisory Committee approached Council with a proposal - that it raise $100,000 in private money to pay for architectural services while the County internally finances the new facility and pays itself back when the third round of Capital Projects Sales Tax collections begins.
Aiken County Council entered into a memorandum of understanding with Friends of the Animal Shelter (FOTAS) in June to front $1 million to "fast track" a new shelter.
Upon the completion of Animal Arts' needs analysis, FOTAS and the Animal Control Advisory Committee will recommend to Council that either a new shelter be built, the existing one be renovated or an existing facility be purchased and improved.
The arrangement should accelerate work on the shelter and leave more money for actual bricks and mortar.
The Aiken County Animal Shelter has been allocated $1 million in the next round of sales tax.
"This is our one chance to do this shelter right, to make sure healthy animals coming through in-take don't become sick," said FOTAS President Jennifer Miller. "There are so many great things animal shelters can do to keep animals healthy. There are current standards and codes, and we don't meet them."
FOTAS believes a new shelter, or at least a renovated one, is desperately needed.
The current shelter is undersized, lacking the room to adequately separate animals that have been approved for adoption and those that are sick or vicious, according to the advisory committee. Air circulation is poor. The shelter's surgical facilities are also inadequate; there are no surgical preparation or recovery rooms. The euthanasia rate is high.
"We want a shelter for the next 10,15, 20 years from now. We don't want to Band-Aid it, but that's not to say we want to keep on going and build bigger and bigger shelters," Miller said. "Council will have to decide how best to complement the recommendations with a limited budget."
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Your comments and input are always welcome. We appreciate any suggestions or thoughts that will help FOTAS with their goal to help the Aiken County Animal Shelter become a happy, healthy place that never has to euthanize an adoptable pet.