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On October 15, 2005 we entered an empty warehouse and started
working to make it a functional space. We began with a slab of
cement, one hose bib, and a roof that was peppered with holes,
thanks to the wrath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. But, it’s
the only facility in New Orleans that was suitable – leaky roof
and all! |
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The first order of business was removing the old coffee still
sitting in the warehouse and cleaning the floor. Staff and teams
from other shelters visiting from across the country, set-up the
dog runs and cat cages under the sections of the warehouse that
had the fewest holes in the roof. Dog runs were covered with
tarps so the dogs wouldn’t get wet when it rained.
The fastest solution to kenneling dogs was to purchase
easy-to-assemble livestock housing. Since the warehouse was
cavernous and the noise from continuous barking is highly stressful
to both humans and animals, we ordered burgundy Plexiglas, cut
to fit on three sides of each kennels, which would serve as a
buffer and limit the visual stimulation which, when not
addressed, can increase stress in dogs. |
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 From
November to January 2006, while the warehouse roof was being
repaired, we rented an outdoor wedding tent and moved the dogs
into their new home. Daily walks kept the dogs happy and propane
heaters kept them warm at night. The wedding tent was a better
solution than having them risk injury by falling debris, not to
mention the noise of welding metal and general roof repairs. The
dogs did surprisingly well despite living in a tent. |
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During the rainy season, the staff, volunteers, and dogs
navigated puddles until we could bring in gravel and build-up
the area to prevent flooding. The
staff worked in incredibly difficult conditions. To help with
the noise, they wore earmuffs. To keep warm and dry, they worked
with gloves and layers of clothing. |
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From October to May our one returning veterinarian and her two
vet technicians worked in a “M.A.S.H.” clinic surrounded by blue
tarps and
leaking roof. Even though conditions were less than ideal, each
animal entering the LA/SPCA was vaccinated and given a physical
examination. Our veterinarian also spayed and neutered all
shelter animals before adoption and feral cats that were being
released back into their colonies. |
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 The
dogs lived in the wedding tent for 1.5 months while the roof was
being repaired. The cats, however, could not be safely housed
outside. Since cats are excellent escape artists, confining them
presented challenges. Donated stainless steel cages were placed
in two rows and fence partitions were placed on top of the cage
rows. The entire “cat room” was then securely tarped. The area
was reminiscent of walking a Christmas tree sales lot with
hanging construction lights and portable heaters keeping
everyone warm, dry, safe and healthy. Our cats were housed this
way from November to May until they were able to be moved into
the new rooms that were being built for them. The cats were
remarkably relaxed despite barking dogs being nearby. |
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 In
January, the dogs returned to the warehouse with its new roof.
Since there is no plumbing or drainage in the warehouse, we used
Puppy pads to capture urine and feces on the cement floor of the
dog runs. Although the pads were expensive ($23,000 every other
month!), they were necessary. They aided the staff in
keeping the floor cleaner than it would be otherwise. |
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Structure and organization are critical to successful shelter
management. Storage areas, an intake area where animals could be
processed and "office" space around the perimeter of the
warehouse were established. |
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Even with all the work to be done, we
savored the time
dedicated to playing and socializing with the animals. |
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| Our administrative
staff works from modular trailers outside the shelter. |
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In October 2005, to help calm frightened and traumatized dogs
captured from the street, we developed a “rehab tent” program to
give these special dogs an opportunity to recover. Staff and
volunteers worked one-on-one with these dogs to build their
confidence in hopes that they would move to the adoptable
section of the shelter. The rehab tent has been so successful it
is now a permanent program of the LA/SPCA. |
