The first report from state animal welfare inspectors offers some high praise for the job that Guilford County staff, designers and builders did on the shiny new Guilford County animal shelter that opened late last year at 980 Guilford College Road in Greensboro.
The expensive new facility – with the lofty longer name of “Guilford County Animal Resource Center” – was built to replace the dilapidated now closed shelter on West Wendover Avenue that was, seven years ago, the site of horrific animal treatment and multiple violations of state animal cruelty laws.
The mismanagement of the county’s animal shelter by the previous service provider led to a massive scandal in 2015 that resulted in the largest animal cruelty fine in North Carolina history. However, now that Guilford County government has taken over shelter operations, hired new director Jorge Ortega and funded a brand new shelter, the state’s stance toward Guilford County’s animal operations has done a one-eighty.
One comment from the first public inspection of the Animal Resource Center compliments the design and build quality of the shelter.
“All involved in the build of this facility have done an excellent job,” the inspector wrote in the report based on a review done right as the shelter opened.
The report added that “All areas are in compliance.”
It also notes that the shelter has many animal-friendly features – such as the fact that outside kennel areas are surrounded by a perimeter fence that allows the dogs to play in groups of four or less in the play yards without a need for supervision.
Despite the overall high praise, there were some areas of concern. There were worries about “the possibility of the sun being too hot on the cats in the stray cat area on the end enclosures” and also there was one place in the building where inspectors were concerned that an escape plot by cats might be successful.
Now that the facility is occupied, another inspection will be forthcoming that will offer important information on staff operations and how well the facility operates with animals inside.
Well, maybe our misplaced fur babies will be able to sleep more secure at night. Not so sure about our own babies and children with that $1 million cut to the GPD budget. What say you?