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Yes, in short, Juneau Animal Rescue itself needs a new forever home. When the JAR (formerly Gastineau Humane Society) Shelter was built 40 years ago, the standard was more about warehousing homeless pets, rather than nurturing them and helping them become more adoptable. The current shelter’s issues include:
The GOOD NEWS is that the JAR Board has put a top priority on planning and building a new shelter, and that there is a huge number of Juneau community members who love animals. Here is what we need:
Working together we can make Juneau’s animal shelter a far more nurturing and health place for Juneau transitioning companion animals.
If you are interested in helping or offering ideas, call or email Kevin Ritchie, JAR Facility Committee Chair. [email protected] or 907-957-1599
- the cages are far smaller than current standards require, and not designed to meet the basic needs of animals for comfort and privacy, adding to stress,
- lack of access to fresh air and natural light in animal housing areas;
- the single air handling system allows airborne diseases to spread throughout the building. The heating system is inadequate and there is no cooling system,
- the difficulty of getting dogs outside, and the uncovered exercise yard, reduces the amount of time dogs get to be outside, and
- the lack of building soundproofing allows cats to be stressed by the sound of barking dogs,
- the design of the dog housing areas makes the cages extremely difficult to clean and to keep clean due to the porous materials used and advanced deterioration of the concrete partitions,
- there is no accommodation for other pets such as lizards, birds, and rabbits so they are housed in cages in a hallway,
- the building was not designed for animal control or the significant veterinary services. This causes an extreme issue with space.
- AND the 40 year old building has an extensively cracked and uneven concrete foundation in addition to deterioration of the structure and most of it components.
The GOOD NEWS is that the JAR Board has put a top priority on planning and building a new shelter, and that there is a huge number of Juneau community members who love animals. Here is what we need:
- New Site: The current site is too small to allow for a building and adequate outdoor runs. And the current site is surrounded by wet areas that are not easily suitable for building. We need a new site that is at least 2.2 acre and is not close to residences, but easily accessible. For the current shelter, the land was donated by a generous family. Any suggestions or ideas on suitable building sites are welcome.
- New Shelter Facility: JAR obtained an ASPCA grant to assess Juneau’s needs. A new larger shelter is recommended to adequately house animals and provide space for the animal control operations and a veterinary clinic. We are looking for community members who are interested in helping who have skills in fundraising, public outreach, planning, building, etc.
Working together we can make Juneau’s animal shelter a far more nurturing and health place for Juneau transitioning companion animals.
If you are interested in helping or offering ideas, call or email Kevin Ritchie, JAR Facility Committee Chair. [email protected] or 907-957-1599
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