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Animal-control officer says Clinton shelter is at capacity as intake surges; council approves $3,500 HVAC repair
Summary
Rita Thorp reported animal-control calls and a sharp rise in shelter dogs and cats; the council unanimously approved roughly $3,500 to repair a heating/air unit and improve a work platform at the facility.
Animal-control officer Rita Thorp told the city council that intake at the Clinton shelter has surged and the facility is struggling to keep up with adoptions.
Thorp said the office had received 81 calls, she had responded to 32 calls and the shelter had taken in seven dogs and eight cats since the last report. She said the shelter’s dog population had risen from 17 at the same time last year to about 40 now, and that animals appeared to be arriving faster than staff could place them. Thorp told the council she had observed animals coming in from surrounding county areas and said she suspected some animals were being dumped.
Thorp recounted several unusual calls the department has handled, including a loose goat that ran through the downtown square and a report involving a roughly 250-pound pig. Council members pressed on capacity and how long animals remained at the shelter; Thorp said a few dogs had been in the shelter about eight months.
Thorp also reported that a heating/ventilation unit at a municipal facility had a burned-out fan/blower and needed a safer platform for workers; the technician estimated repairs at about $3,500. The council moved, seconded and approved funding for the repairs and platform by unanimous roll call.
What happens next: the HVAC repair will proceed and staff will continue to work with rescue partners to expedite adoptions and manage intake.
