Shelter begins renovations

Ask most people to take care of dogs for two weeks without pay, and few will be as enthusiastic about it as Chuck Pate. \nPate, owner of Wayport Kennel, 7657 N. Ind. 37, and Wayport Pet Supply, 2630 E. 10th St., agreed to provide room and board to adult dogs while the Bloomington Animal Shelter is being renovated.\nThe shelter's dog kennel flooring will be sandblasted, resurfaced, resealed and painted. The refurbished flooring will protect animals against the spread of diseases that can linger in an unsealed floor, Denise Travers, director of the animal shelter, said in a press release. The Monroe County Humane Association will cover the costs of the renovation.\nPate said dogs would face being euthanized if the shelter could not find a place for them. He said Wayport had the space for them because it is not a peak boarding season. \n"We're all major animal lovers, and we just wanted to help out as much as we could," he said.\nA one-day stay for a 25-pound dog costs $9.50, plus the cost of food, Pate said.\nOnly adult dogs that have received vaccinations will be housed at the kennel, and adoption of these animals will not be available from Sept. 25 to Oct. 9. Puppies will be available for adoption at the shelter during renovations.\nThe shelter, which receives about 5,200 animals per year and about 15 to 20 cats and dogs per day, is also preparing to start the initial stages of a major renovation of its facilities, said Erica DeSantis, executive director of the MCHA. She said the public will be invited to offer its ideas about what should be included. One possible addition could be an on-site spay and neutering facility.\nDeSantis said the number of animals coming in has steadily increased because Bloomington's population is growing.\n"It's just time we grew with the community," she said.\nAlthough the shelter will not refuse animals, it is asking the public to wait to relinquish their animals from Sept. 25 to Oct. 10. People inquiring about lost dogs can call the shelter.