Page 10 - Flathead Beacon // 11.20.13

10 | NOVEMBER 20, 2013 NEWS FLATHEADBEACON.COM

County Animal Shelter Renovations Complete

Just
Sayin’.

New outdoor kennels

“We have to have
give canine occupants

this ight.”
much-needed space
U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, an
Idaho Republican facing
a tea party challenger, By MOLLY PRIDDY of the Beacon
underscoring the growing
The Flathead County Animal Shel-
struggle and inighting ter is a place of transition. Its population
between tea partiers is transitive – creatures coming to a new
and the Republican place out of hard-scrabbled necessity, and,
establishment.
if they are lucky, leaving it soon after to
move on to a new, better start.
“This announcement A quick visit inside is a journey for the
throws everything human senses as well; resident dogs bark
on its head.”
and howl, the air smells of fur and all that
comes with four-legged bodies, and a visi-
Montana Insurance tor will ind no lack of soft ears and bellies
Commissioner Monica needing scratches.
Lindeen responding to the
announcement by President The building itself also seems alive at
Obama that insurance times, having gone through numerous ex- Shelter director Clif Bennett shows recent improvements to the dog kennels at the Flathead County Animal
companies may choose to pansions to better provide for the growing Shelter. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
continue selling plans that needs of its services. The latest addition,
would otherwise have been consisting of 27 new outdoor kennels, will
terminated or cancelled.
allow some more comfort for the shelter’s “IT’S GOING TO ALLOW MUCH EASIER AND FASTER CLEAN-
canine population.
ING IN THE MORNING, AND MORE TIME TO WORK WITH THE
“I started screaming FCAS director Clif Bennett is kind
when he walks up and down the rows of DOGS.”
‘Stop, stop,’ and the dog kennels, talking to each of his charges Flathead Couny Animal Shelter Director Clif Bennett
man kept shooting.”
and petting those that allow it. The new
outdoor kennels, which are connected
Layne Spence of Missoula, to the indoor kennels that line the walls,
describing to the will make it easier for the staf to clean the With the outdoor kennels separating walls.
Missoulian the incident dogs’ living areas, thereby freeing up more the dogs, more can visit the general yard “We were lucky with the timing,” Ben-
near Lolo Pass, where a
hunter killed Spence’s quality time for the dogs.
just outside the kennels, giving shelter nett said. “We were really lucky.”
malamute dog, thinking it “It takes about four hours to get all staf more leeway with who they let out- The county animal shelter also hopes
was a wolf.
these kennels clean,” Bennett said.
side and when.
to complete another major project in the
Before the access to the outdoor ken- As a whole, the outdoor kennels cost near future: installing an air chiller on the
nels, staf would have to put the dogs out- about $25,000, and were funded through massive air exchange system that keeps
“It deinitely side in the common area in shifts to avoid private donations. Employees at Flathead the shelter’s occupants breathing health-
hurt the tourism ights in the yard. Now, small hatches on Industries did much of the construction ily.
the walls open to allow the dogs outside work, Bennett said.
business.”
In the summertime, the hot air is only
Carol Pike of the and into fenced areas where they still have “It’s a nice, community project,” he cooled with fans, Bennett said, which isn’t
their own space.
said.
always enough for the critters. The irst
Columbia Falls Chamber “It’s going to allow much easier and The construction timeline was also bid for the project came back at $30,000,
of Commerce, describing faster cleaning in the morning, and more fortuitous, Bennett said, because it came he said, but the shelter is checking with
the efect of the 16-day time to work with the dogs,” Bennett said.
during a week when a Missoula animal local companies to see if it can get bids
government shutdown that The kennels sit on freshly poured con- shelter had taken 13 of the county shelter’s around $15,000 and $20,000.
kept Glacier National Park crete, with sturdy white panels separating dogs as part of an adoption drive the Mis- Until then, the dogs at the animal shel-
closed.
(STORY, PAGE 13)
the dogs. While they are pretty close to be- soula shelter was doing.
ter will enjoy their new outdoor options,
ing indestructible, a determined dog can This way, the wall sections of the ken- giving them more space and that much
get through pretty much anything, Ben- nels were empty, and nobody was too dis- more to wag their tails about.
nett noted.
turbed by crews cutting holes through the
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