Savannah Animal Shelter To Move Into City
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The City of Savannah is getting a new state-of-the-art animal shelter – a project animal service workers have been working on for more than three years. They told 7 Eyewitness News they hope this new shelter gives the animals a better temporary place to live, and increase their chances of finding permanent homes. Workers said they will not be able to move into the new shelter until the spring, but they are ready to move in now. “We bring in probably 50 to 75 dogs a month and we only have space for 20 dogs, so we actually have to move a lot of those dogs rather rapidly,” said Charlie Nickle, director of Hardin County Animal Services. According to Nickle, right now the old shelter has about 40 dogs and cats. That is more than double what it should be. Workers said it is so overcrowded, they have to put the puppies and cats together, and some even stay in a bathroom. But the new shelter will have separate puppy and kitten rooms, a grooming area, and the animals will not have to share kennels. The shelter will also hold up to 75 animals with the outside kennel runs. “It will give us a lot more space as well as help reduce disease with airborne diseases, as well as contact diseases by giving isolation space and adequate ventilation,” Nickle said. “Each area is ventilated so it all goes outside.” Nickle said he hopes both volunteers and employees will not be so overwhelmed once they move into the new shelter. “We want this to be is a happy place, and a good environment for our animals and any potential adopters that might come here,” said Nickle. Nickle said almost all of their cats and dogs are up for adoption right now. It costs $80 to adopt a dog, and $70 for a cat.
