10-18-2007 City prepares groundwork for new animal shelter

Home Browse Search

PRACK l8fi5 Office of the Mayor NEWS RELEASE October 18, 2007 5:30 p.m. City prepares groundwork for new animal shelter Contact: Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications& Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876- 1564, Catherine Toppel, Director of Code Enforcement, 235-9486, or Gary Libbey, Manager of South Bend Animal Control, 235-9303 Eleven years after starting its own Animal Control program, the City of South Bend is investing in a plan for a new animal shelter in Kennedy Park that could nearly quadruple the size of its existing facility and, officials hope, increase pet adoptions and volunteers. The new shelter would be part of a renovated and expanded facility at 521 Eclipse Place in the west-side park. The current century-old facility at 135 S. Olive St. was converted from a former fire station into a shelter in 1996 when South Bend Animal Control began. After two years of research by Animal Control staff with an architect who designed shelters in Fort Wayne and two other Indiana communities, the city's recently approved 2008 budget includes $125,000 in capital lease payments that could be made toward a new facility. "In Fort Wayne, adoptions more than doubled after building a new facility and the number of volunteers increased dramatically," said Gary Libbey, manager of the Animal Control division for South Bend's Department of Code Enforcement. "A bigger, more modern shelter is going to allow us to do a better job for the animals and citizens of our community. We're going to be able to have more animals available for adoption." Unlike the current 3,100-square-foot facility, the new 10,000- to 12,000-square-foot shelter would give South Bend Animal Control space it doesn't currently have for: • Its own spay-neuter clinic. People who adopt pets now sign a form indicating they will have the procedure performed by a private provider. • An expanded lobby and reception area. • An adoption preparation area for bathing and grooming of animals