More Top Picks Best Smart Plugs For Outdoor Lights
player ready...After Mike and Amy Warner of Elgin attended the grand re-opening of Anderson Animal Shelter, 1000 South LaFox Road, on Saturday afternoon with their children, Devin, 18; Isabel, 14, and Timmy, 10, they left with a new family member.
“Isabel was playing peek-a-boo with one of the dogs in its kennel, and it kept responding to her,” Amy said. “We decided to adopt the dog.”
Renovations of the facility’s interior began on Sept. 1. Landscaping improvements to the outside front area are planned to begin in the spring.
“This remodel was made possible by a generous donation from Marco and Patricia Muscarello on behalf of the Ivar and Ruth Anderson Animal Anti-Cruelty Foundation,” said Beth Drake, the shelter’s executive director. “The square footage has remained the same, but the housing has been revamped. Changes include new caging for both cats and dogs, new flooring throughout the shelter, new plumbing, new paint on the walls, and a new logo and website.”
Batavia Enterprises Inc. offered temporary housing space for some of the shelter’s animals during the remodeling.
The shelter thanks Batavia Enterprises, Lamp Inc., Dauffenbach Electric, Bero Plumbing, BEI Enterprises, Sunset Cartage and all the foster homes who cared for the animals during the renovation.
“Before work began, we had to find a place for 140 cats to stay,” Drake said. “Thirty cats were brought to the temporary shelter in Batavia, while others went to foster homes. While 20 to 30 dogs went to foster homes, other dogs were able to stay here during the remodeling.”
The shelter currently has 20 cats and 20 dogs available for adoption. There are also 15 cats and 20 dogs in the pre-adoption category. Examples of animals not yet ready for adoption could be dogs and cats that need to be spayed or neutered along with animals whose behavior has not yet been fully evaluated.
Drake compared the shelter’s previous animal housing to what is now available.
“The cats formerly lived in stainless steel cages that were cold, reflective and offered no places to hide,” Drake said. “It was stressful for them because cats naturally want to hide. We now have four kitten colonies in the lobby and three cat colonies in the adoption room. They have hidey holes, blankets and ledges.”
“Cats are generally not aggressive to each other,” Drake added. “They are mostly defensive. Eighty-five to 90 percent of cats are okay being with other cats if they are not forced to be together. The secret to successful cat colonies is to have enough hidey holes so a cat can feel safe and be out of sight if it wants to be. The new housing creates options for the cats.”
The chain link kennels for the dogs have been replaced with five big kennels and seven smaller kennels. The thin dividers between the former chain link kennels have been replaced with thicker walls which give each dog a more secure space.
The number of cats at the shelter has been cut back from 140 in September to no more than 60 at one time. The shelter will not house more than 40 dogs at one time.
“In addition to the shelter redesign, Anderson has undergone a change in its animal housing philosophy,” Drake said. “Many of the animals were moved to foster homes to reduce the population at the shelter. With fewer animals to take care of, shelter staff can focus on the individual needs of each animal. This means our animals are emotionally and physically healthier. This has had a positive impact on our adoptions. Since we implemented this policy in June, our adoption rates have increased by as much as 40 percent.”
Another change at the shelter is the introduction of dog playgroups which allow dogs to interact freely with one another in a large fenced area.
“If dogs are confined to kennels and away from other dogs for long periods of time, they eventually lose the ability to interact positively with members of their own species,” said Jon Koffenberger, animal care manager. “Playgroups are now a daily occurrence at Anderson. The change in the dogs is amazing. After they have been outside to play, the kennels are actually quiet because the dogs are sleeping as they should be.”
“We need to let dogs be dogs,” Drake said. “The playgroups keep them emotionally healthy. We also teach them obedience and train them through positive reinforcement.”
A new room for adoptable “Little Critters” currently houses five rabbits, two guinea pigs, three mice and two parakeets.
Drake began working as the shelter’s executive director in May. She previously worked at TAILS Humane Society in DeKalb for 14 years and served as its executive director for 12 years.
The shelter has 7 full-time and 12 part-time staff members along with 500 volunteers who handle various responsibilities such as cleaning the kennels and walking the dogs.
More Top Picks Best Knee Pillows For Pain Relief Undergraduate
The shelter advocates for the humane treatment of animals through direct care, humane education and community outreach programs.
For more information on adoption, volunteering, donation drives and membership opportunities, call (847) 697-2880; www.andersonanimalshelter.org.