Story Photos
 Photo by Roger Werth Volunteer Ron Stoppler moves a dog into the new kennel at the Humane Center. The addition gives dogs a clean environment to greet prospective owners. |
New digs for the dogs
Tuesday, January 28, 2003 9:16 AM PST
By Randi Rice
Printable version
E-mail this articleNo stinky urine smell. It is clean.
That's what members of the Humane Society of Cowlitz County are howling about these days -- a 2,600-square-foot expansion that allows dogs to exercise inside the building and outside.
While the older sections of the building, located at 9009 Columbia Boulevard in the industrial district near Longview Fibre, seem rag worn. The new section is clean and the concrete is sealed with epoxy sealant.
Two dogs, a lab mix and a pit bull mutt, were the first allowed in the new section. They barked a little, but were calm in their environment. The expansion project started in October 2001 and was designed to separate the incoming animals from the outgoing.
The cost to remodel the dog kennels and expand the reception area was $220,000. Of that, $180,000 was raised through the community. The Humane Society took out a loan for the remainder. It hopes to raise the funds to cover the loan.
The need for new facilities is obvious.
"The old kennels are old and smelly," said executive director Mike Sardinia. "The new one really help present the animals in a better light."
The new reception area is four times bigger than the old. It is designed to handle the increasing number of animals being sent to the humane society.
"We needed a bigger area because we are doing more adoptions," Sardinia said.
The local humane society is working toward a "no kill' system. That means no animals -- dogs or cats -- would be put down unless they were ill.
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