Help For Angel Ridge Animal Rescue
Dear Angel Ridge Animal Rescue supporter,
For almost two years, shelters across the U.S. have noted a significant increase in the number of dog and cat surrenders due to poor economic conditions. We have also experienced a significant increase in the number of stray dogs and cats that have found their way to our sanctuary. Angel Ridge Animal Rescue is located on Hickory Ridge Road, one mile from the Washington County Fairgrounds, which has long been a dumping ground for unwanted dogs and cats. Our road is also lined with many beautiful horse farms, which many people consider a "good option" for the drop-off and possible re-homing.
Since May, we have accepted one or two stray dogs per week from our Township. These have all been friendly and adoptable dogs. During the week of the Washington County Fair in August, we accepted four stray dogs, including a four month old terrier pup. We are committed to helping the local dogs, the strays from Chartiers Township. We are not obligated to take any stray dogs. We can call the animal control officer who will pick them up from us. Our animal control officer exhausts every possible avenue to find the owner or adopt the dog, but the odds are not in the favor of these strays. The state requires a 48 hour holding period and the dog may be humanely euthanized. We have accepted dogs so that they would not meet this fate.
Adoptions have been down tremendously. In the months of July, August and September, we have averaged 9 dog adoptions per month. This excludes the adoption of some puppies in July. Right now, we are twelve dogs higher than our usual dog census. We have opened up the two condo areas, Beagle Land and the Rascal Condo to accommodate these dogs. These areas had been closed for most of the year so that we could re-wire both areas. This has not happened as yet, but an electrical contractor has offered to donate all of the materials and an electrical engineer can oversee the work. WE NEED THE HELP OF AN ELECTRICIAN TO DO THE ACTUAL WIRING.
Our large kennel building houses most of the dogs at our facility. This is a metal 40x60 pole building with an 18 ft. high ceiling. It is not insulated. Early this year, board member Paul Neil donated a natural gas heating system and a fan-type cooling system. Our gas bills from Columbia Gas last winter were $1200 to $1500 per month, just for that building. We are ready to turn the heat on for the winter, but we are still paying off last winter’s heating bills.
THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH THIS BUILDING IS THE DIRT FLOOR. We experimented this past summer with bagged wood chips as bedding in the dog runs. The shavings were clean and fluffy, but got into food dishes and water buckets. We used at least one, sometimes two, 60 lb. Bags in each run per week. What has happened, especially in the single dog runs, is that the front three-quarters of the run is now built up four to five inches higher than the back of the run. This does not comply with the state’s guidelines.
This weekend, we are going to correct this problem. We will have to disassemble several runs in order to take a backhoe in the building to remove dirt and level out the runs. It was only six months ago that we did major work of this type in this building. The dirt floor of this building is a problem for many other reasons. Some dogs can dig out of their runs and on a couple of instances, they went off the property to a neighbor’s property. The dirt gets on and in water and food bowls, beds and dog houses, and rodents can more easily get into the building. This is a battle that we cannot win.
In a recent state inspection, these problems were noted and we have been given two weeks to correct them. Bureau of Dog Law Supervisor Brad Shields stated that if the floor of the building was concrete, "99% of your problems would be solved". It is the single kennel runs on either side of the building that are our biggest problems. The larger 10x10 and 12x12 runs are not as big of a problem. However, given the $1200-$1500 per month winter gas bill, it behooves us to comfortably accommodate as many dogs as we possibly can to justify that expense.
We have one possible offer for a donation of some of the concrete. Ideally, the project would be done in sections, so that we could move the dogs elsewhere while the concrete for their area was poured. WE NEED TO CONCRETE THE FLOOR OF THIS BUILDING IN ORDER TO RECEIVE SATISFACTORY RATINGS FROM THE STATE.
Another occurrence over the spring and summer was the dumping of pregnant cats and moms and litters on our property. The female adults have been spayed and the kittens have been placed in foster care. However, we had to keep them in our adoption office, which has commercial carpeting. This presented a carpet cleaning nightmare. We are installing a waterproof laminate this week. Our adoption office has been moved to a new trailer which was donated. Our goal is to use the former office for isolation and clinical needs.
We are a country based non-traditional shelter and sanctuary. We have an altogether different set-up than the "bricks and mortar" buildings of other area shelters. The state’s guidelines are geared toward these traditional shelters. The state has been understanding of these differences, but we must comply with their requirements and, absent a concrete floor in our main kennel building, we are fighting a losing battle.
From now until at least the end of the year, we will not accept any new dogs and local strays will be turned over to animal control. We are investigating other avenues for the donation of concrete. Any ideas or help that you can offer would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Nancy C. Shannon, Director