ADVENTURE
S
o often the efforts of animal shelters are hampered by the
multiplying costs of running them, from the expenses involved
in employing staff to the expenditures required simply to
keep the lights on—not to mention every dollar that must be
invested in the animals themselves, from food and vaccinations to care
for disease, illness, or injury. Add to that the inability to manage the
growing number of animals so desperately in need of shelter, and it
becomes a huge struggle seemingly too diffi cult to overcome. Under
such circumstances as these, the doors of many shelters close under that
pressure, leaving animals without a safe haven; but efforts have been
amped all over the world to bring greater attention to the plights of these
organizations and provide the funding they need to give care to the
animals who need it the most.
Originally built in 1997, the Escambia County Animal
Shelter has been one such organization whose struggle was
recently given a bit of attention and relief—most notably
through a grant valued at $75,000 from GreaterGood’s
Rescue Rebuild, a volunteer program that works to
rebuild, repair, and renovate animal shelters and rescue
organizations in need. Up against 150 other project
submissions, the Friends of the Escambia County Animal
Shelter’s application was obviously a compelling one; and
after the grant was awarded, more than 400 volunteers
lent their hands and their hearts to commence work on
renovating the shelter and expanding the facility.
The scope of work needed was indeed large, as it called
for the complete demolition and reconstruction of the
lobby, front counter, tile fl ooring, cat rooms and waiting
area, along with the addition of a so-called “catio” for outdoor cat
play as well as the installation of sun sails over the dog play yards.
To accommodate participants in the Dogs Play for Life program—a
nationally implemented network of canine playgroups intended to
serve as a tool for the assessment, enrichment, and training of shelter
dogs that also aids the adoption process—a play yard for dogs was also
constructed.
In the midst of the excitement of renovations, further buzz was
created as camera crews from PBS’s documentary series Shelter Me
rolled fi lm, spending a week onsite recording the work done by the
shelter’s staff and volunteers in providing love and shelter to the animals
in their care. As a fi lm series intended to commend the work of shelter
story by
Liesel Schmidt |
photos provided by
Escambia County Animal Shelter
24 | VIPPensacola.com
Seeking Shelter
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4/26/18 8:11 AM